tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25877331875831809532024-03-18T20:13:16.193-07:00Eye on HollywoodLooking at Movies & TelevisionCM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-57512729121100489642022-11-01T18:52:00.011-07:002022-11-02T09:10:58.200-07:00Amazon's LOTR Rings of Power<h1 style="text-align: left;">Why You Should Watch The Rings of Power</h1><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">It wasn't that Bad</h3><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfvTzFA7kq_BPwiPYSqchorGQmMlYrRym0VKYar4eIQcpARnNEP8BdKDVmep9fqmaO-zuoX7skQJmDQLTCmI6FRTsSxZevyzVtGNHyfs7qUkbW-fylrqO3QTXyu4-17R_kbf6CRDK0OW7ZjWfaBet_eB2wOTnczD9rdg13oU58pbnGU2YPp3QQ_TBRg/s1200/online-rings-of-power-copy-1.webp" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfvTzFA7kq_BPwiPYSqchorGQmMlYrRym0VKYar4eIQcpARnNEP8BdKDVmep9fqmaO-zuoX7skQJmDQLTCmI6FRTsSxZevyzVtGNHyfs7qUkbW-fylrqO3QTXyu4-17R_kbf6CRDK0OW7ZjWfaBet_eB2wOTnczD9rdg13oU58pbnGU2YPp3QQ_TBRg/w400-h266/online-rings-of-power-copy-1.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">A lot of negative things have been said about this Amazon-powered series. I get it — Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy is arguably one of the most successful and beloved films in cinematic history, spawning a cult following of LOTR purists that seem born and bred on Middle Earth's milk. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> Personally,</span> I've lost track of how many times I've seen these films. </span></div><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm no Tolkien purist but I cringed when Amazon first announced it was making a TV series and was skeptical throughout. But when they dropped the final trailer - it was enticing enough for me to swallow my pride, set aside judgements and comparisons, and attempt the watch. After all, as the most expensive TV series in history - it at least deserved a glance.</span></div><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-11985048-7fff-5bef-164f-19a4a22e8e84"><br /><h4 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What They Got Right </span></h4><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Soundtrack was</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> so spectacular that it was an event in itself. Though the main theme was revisited by original composer, Howard Shaw, the remaining musical score was undertaken by Bear McCreary (Battlestar Galactica) who took a page from LOTR playbook and captured the feel, the sound, the races, and even the languages of Tolkien's world. In an </span><a href="https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a41168727/bear-mccreary-rings-of-power-soundtrack-interview/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Esquire magazine</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> article McCreary said it took over a year to flesh out the 37 compositions making up 2 ½ hours of the series soundtrack. But trust me, it is worth listening to even if you haven’t seen the series. Every song is a full Middle Each immersion - part grandeur and part beauty and integral to its overall believability. And the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gJBqV0Ect4">Khazad Dum</a> track alone is a 10/10 listening experience.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clearly Amazon spared no expense on production values with extravagant sets and costumes that oozed resplendence and details evoking the essence of Middle Earth in every scene. And </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">this series had the luxury of time to explore such things as the splendor of the Dwarves City of Moria before it was vanquished, as well as the glories of </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Numenor - home to </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Elendil and Isildur. Each of these cities was elaborately created in richness and depth with a 3-dimensional quality.</span></span></p><br /><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Middle Earth Languages/Speech:</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Any Tolkien fan knows that the author wrote over a dozen languages for his Middle Earth characters - from the gentle lilt of the Elvish tongue to the guttural darkness of the black speech spoken by Sauron and his cohorts. So, when I heard that Amazon was rebooting the LOTR, one of my biggest fears was of writers modernizing the language into a 21st Century tongue. But to my great relief they not only incorporated Tolkien’s languages but retained the old-style speech similar to the films. </span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5WeBdmzDCeZQXcIGQeEPxd4QFmmgX4WYfOiJlA9gl5_bOvG_B5klwQxKjyJFC83LilKHDcmwMegP-VzLp3jAIXxqpp0NX8EkfuTU9BYbL4SONsKIaw-dZpOJyoLspnT2DE7tgLIbZb3WrjTcmQRep2gwr2Q2lEYvq-zRHhWjS1O9qoc-taAQieNRkg/s1388/livingston-rings.webp" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1388" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5WeBdmzDCeZQXcIGQeEPxd4QFmmgX4WYfOiJlA9gl5_bOvG_B5klwQxKjyJFC83LilKHDcmwMegP-VzLp3jAIXxqpp0NX8EkfuTU9BYbL4SONsKIaw-dZpOJyoLspnT2DE7tgLIbZb3WrjTcmQRep2gwr2Q2lEYvq-zRHhWjS1O9qoc-taAQieNRkg/w200-h133/livingston-rings.webp" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Casting</span></div><div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like its predecessor, the series boasted an ensemble cast with about 12 leading characters and far too many to cover in a single blog post. But the series is dominated by Galadriel - played heavy handedly by Morfydd Clark a young warrior determined to avenge her elder brother Finrod’s death. Clark commanded every scene with zealous fury as she pursued her brother's killer as well as the looming threat of evil overcoming Middle Earth. She was such a sharp contrast to the Galadriel we remember from films. But I remembered that this was a younger Galadriel thousands of years before Fellowship of the Ring. To her credit, Clark held her own in what must have felt like a daunting task in view of public expectations, as well as the shoes she had to fill.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clark is joined by Ismael Cruz Cordova (Warrior Elf Arondir), </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nazanin Boniadi (Browyn of the Southlands), Charlie Vickers (as Halbrand), Markella Kavenagh (as the Harfoot Nori), and Robert Aramayo as the young Elrond.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Certain characters were a real treat to watch and one of them was our first female Dwarf, Disa, played with sparkle wit, and sage like quality by British actor Sophia Nomvete. Disa was the perfect complement to Owen Arthur's Prince Durin IV - heir to Moria's throne who is struggling to come to terms with his role as the future king. As with the Jackson renderings, a little romance was added to bring sizzle to the storyline by Arondir the Elvish soldier who is hopelessly in </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">love with the human (Bronwyn) - both longing for a forbidden alliance. And let's not forget Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh), that introduces us to a new race of Middle Earth known as the Harfoots, (apparently ancestors of the Hobbits). </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nori is a free spirit surrounded by the decidedly non-adventurous Harfoots, until her insatiable curiously lands her dead center of the biggest adventure of her lifetime. </span></p><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><h4 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Story:</span></h4><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are multiple sub-stories within the main plot as the series takes its time exploring the characters. I had to keep reminding myself that TV shows are paced slower than a big screen production because you can't keep viewers if you give away too much too soon. That said - there were some unexplained scenes we were expected to take at face value. Eventually though, </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">by episodes 7 and 8 </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">the various storylines began to merge and make sense, which was gratifying after plodding through the earlier episodes. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u>Conclusion</u></b></span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was a sweeping production that evoked a full Middle Earth immersion for those of us longing for its shores. It is clear that Amazon paid tribute to Jackson's versions, as well as Tolkien's writing which is evident across the musical score, costumes, languages, and sets. And </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amazon deserves enormous credit for even daring the attempt. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to any Tolkien fans... BUT on its own merit alone. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">One thing's for sure, that no amount of production values can save bad writing. So we'll see if the writers can effectively take us where I think we are heading with the storylines, but only time will tell. For now, I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt because I love Tolkien's work and because this was a valiant effort!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x8UAUAuKNcU" width="320" youtube-src-id="x8UAUAuKNcU"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p></span><span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <br /></span></p><br /></span></div>CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-32866477738783497462022-03-10T17:46:00.004-08:002022-03-10T18:07:23.386-08:00KING RICHARD RULES THE COURTS (PG-13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgq6A-QUyIqYICfIFL9fu6grurJM0KxaFmREH_GMEIJnKGy6se3mGIjrNc4JDBQV37FKFJVhn3K6RZFwK5Ne4v-rrhOz2NbCe2EtlxS4RX3AoqlsZs88IUrmx5qfeqxVP59MYshiQ8o7UmZjf7L591BZOp4-NgJfq2VYGPPyEtNeRvXhyDcGWOHdGB9kg=s1200" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgq6A-QUyIqYICfIFL9fu6grurJM0KxaFmREH_GMEIJnKGy6se3mGIjrNc4JDBQV37FKFJVhn3K6RZFwK5Ne4v-rrhOz2NbCe2EtlxS4RX3AoqlsZs88IUrmx5qfeqxVP59MYshiQ8o7UmZjf7L591BZOp4-NgJfq2VYGPPyEtNeRvXhyDcGWOHdGB9kg=w640-h336" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Within 5 minutes into this biopic you realize why the title is so accurate. Named after the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams, this film resonates with the raw energy of an indefatigable man on a mission. The story revolves around Richard Williams who was determined to see his daughters become tennis champions. The plot unfolds around their tenuous journey from the poverty and depression of Compton to the courts of the world's most prestigious tennis tournaments. </div><div><div><br /></div><div>Will Smith catapults across the story as the father/tennis coach who has a dream for his daughters and sees the immense potential of what a tennis career could offer them. He carefully maps out their destiny and initiates them into the world of tennis as their instructor before handing them off to a pro tennis coach. And the rest is history.</div><div><br /></div><div>Smith as Williams is simultaneously self-righteous and overbearing as he steers his two girls toward a promising future while overcoming insurmountable personal and cultural oppositions. This is a man who plays by his own rules alone and refuses to push his girls along the traditional routes to championship. Instead he determinedly forges a unique path for Venus and Serena that flouts the industry norms but proves to be fortuitous. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0XWygwUze15frQ9mvjEtv2atE1CzaC9pN0aOO7G6hDi03BeVDEgTRUxRYXTmDIgH_LDFplMGO3NrGi6r4dlo0nVdRzyFeydCz2SchiNzzuRiDihENXh5naYy7t3P3l5yqixJNVqaLe66rc8h9eln3rgCu5cZklozabmsBxpad3eA40Nq8jmP97Rqf1Q=s2000" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="995" data-original-width="2000" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0XWygwUze15frQ9mvjEtv2atE1CzaC9pN0aOO7G6hDi03BeVDEgTRUxRYXTmDIgH_LDFplMGO3NrGi6r4dlo0nVdRzyFeydCz2SchiNzzuRiDihENXh5naYy7t3P3l5yqixJNVqaLe66rc8h9eln3rgCu5cZklozabmsBxpad3eA40Nq8jmP97Rqf1Q=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Saniyya Sidney (Venus), and Demi Singleton (Serena) play well as the youngsters who, aside from their dad's stage parent management, genuinely harbor a personal passion for the sport. Sidney and Singleton are captivating as the up-and-coming trainees who's respect for their father is only matched by the same competitive gene to win. The girls, equally gifted in their abilities, practice tirelessly to hone the skills that moves them towards their collective dream. </div><div> </div><div>The cast is rounded out by Tony Goldwyn (Scandal) as their first pro coach, Aunjanue Ellis (their mother) and John Bernthal (Fury) as Rick Macci their heavily manipulated championship coacher. </div><div><br /></div><div>Even though the Williams' story is well documented, this film pulls back the curtain on his thought provoking and larger than life persona so we catch a glimpse of the impetus that drove him so hard. And Smith's skillful portrayal engenders both empathy and sympathy in this now academy nominated role. </div><div><br /></div><div>Williams's overbearing personality has been the easy fodder of media speculation for years. But to identify him as just a pushy parent is to belittle the size of his dream, the size of the obstacles overcome and the magnitude of his contributions to the sport of tennis, to the world, and to the black community. Regardless of popular opinion, this is the man that produced not just 1 but 2 of the greatest tennis champions of all time. And all said, one comes away from the film with a new found respect and grudging admiration for the man whose dogged persistence against enormous difficulties serves as a textbook reminder to never give up.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BKP_0z52ZAw" width="320" youtube-src-id="BKP_0z52ZAw"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div>CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-77088898049654838882021-07-18T18:45:00.006-07:002021-07-19T14:09:26.720-07:00BLACK WIDOW 4 - STARS<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoHvfSDznYgFn0rJSiCC8f8h7uX3MPtorQoHbIs4O7ScYO13Ogyr7CE9Gsb3fug35EkiZkrWzbVwMiZ93BIkvACDzbeiwcwET54wlORG-D_tlVBE8Ncx9FNmDvnF0yRusNeNAkPyQGfnA/s566/7FF4F8A7-B665-421E-B39D-CF34C34F2D32.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="382" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoHvfSDznYgFn0rJSiCC8f8h7uX3MPtorQoHbIs4O7ScYO13Ogyr7CE9Gsb3fug35EkiZkrWzbVwMiZ93BIkvACDzbeiwcwET54wlORG-D_tlVBE8Ncx9FNmDvnF0yRusNeNAkPyQGfnA/s320/7FF4F8A7-B665-421E-B39D-CF34C34F2D32.jpeg" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">4 Reasons Why Black Widow Was Entertaining but Underwhelming</h2><div>With more than 2 years since "<a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2019/08/avengers-end-game-broke-me-down.html" target="_blank">End Game</a>" the pump was primed for another dose of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Black Widow lands us squarely between "Captain America Civil War" and the "<a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2018/06/avengers-infinity-wars-pg-13.html">Avengers Infinity War</a>" turning it into a mental rewind for those of us who experienced her demise in "End Game."</div><p>Scarlet Johansson reprises her role as the toughened kamikaze warrior AKA Natasha Romanoff, who made her first appearance in 2002's "Iron Man 2." And, as suspected, it was a dark story imbedded in international secrets, lies, and heartbreak that thoroughly shaped her inner-tormented persona. And although we have seen brief glimpses of her story woven throughout the MCU plot lines, this is the first time we were able to fill-in-the-blanks.</p><p>The story opens in 1995 with the Romanoff family living a seemingly normal life in Ohio. Natasha's life includes her mother (Rachel Weisz) her sister (Olga Kurylenko), and her mysterious father (David Harbour). But it is a brittle existence shrouded in covert conspiracies and lived on the razor's edge of impending doom. Finally the event for which the Romanoff parents have plotted occurs. The results destroy their family unit catapulting Natasha and her sister into a blood chilling super-spy training camp.</p><p>First of all, I have always loved Black Widow's fierceness. She has never disappointed her audience whether it was delivering crisp action, pristine interrogation tactics or surprising us with unexpected emotional connections. Clearly, she's come a long way from her beginnings as Tony Stark's covert assistant to a fully-fledged Avenger and a badass in her own right. </p><p>That said, this story, though entertaining, felt underwhelming for me on many levels. After seeing her character on full display in previous MCU renderings it was hard to deconstruct her past without diminishing the previously seen achievements. In fact, the film seemed to labor along in a vain attempt to play catch-up to the other marvel superheroes.</p><p>According to Matt Goldberg of the <a href="https://collider.com/why-did-it-take-so-long-to-make-black-widow/">Collider</a>, the initial talks about a Black Widow film began as early as 2014. However, multiple studio changes combined with the epic failures of previous female superhero films, left the story floundering on the back burner. It took the multi-film mega success of the other Avengers movies and the proven box office of 2019's Captain Marvel to oil the wheels of progress. That said, let's talk about the things that did not work in this film.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">1. No Comeback Moment for the Red Guardian:</h3><p>David Harbour (Stranger Things) played the Romanoff dad whose secret past included being Russia's first and only super soldier. He made numerous egotistical references to former glory days and a mythical association with Captain America. So, throughout the film, you keep waiting for his big comeback moment, but it never happened. He only resonated as an overgrown kid who never got to play in the sandbox with the big boys. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jmZXYIe-Dw9R29Moco3qsrwMQXdR3dqqW6Cd9C2NCHec1WLv0DTzmjo8wP-1q9B1kIquJiqWgWUQHRdpxvKabMg00IkxogDwQtj7bBN5eQnCr4_CADC4Fect6JnWRl5TPbY_TJjPJT8p/s780/d748c1c4-1c53-4cf2-8d17-b2ff3a2d90e4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="780" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jmZXYIe-Dw9R29Moco3qsrwMQXdR3dqqW6Cd9C2NCHec1WLv0DTzmjo8wP-1q9B1kIquJiqWgWUQHRdpxvKabMg00IkxogDwQtj7bBN5eQnCr4_CADC4Fect6JnWRl5TPbY_TJjPJT8p/s320/d748c1c4-1c53-4cf2-8d17-b2ff3a2d90e4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">2. Black Widow is Weaker Than Her Avenger's Persona</h3><p>After watching Natasha Romanoff hold her own with the vicious Chitauri aliens in "The Avenger's" and against Ultron's robotic army in Sokovia, it was really tough to swallow her inability to defeat the Taskmaster, much less the mind-controlling narcissistic Dreykov in BW. Somehow, it just felt like her abilities were dialed back to accommodate a solo story. (And for the life of me I can't figure out why.)</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">3. No Cross-Over Avengers.</h3><p>Sorry, not only did the film lack the Marvel <i>feel, </i>but it also lacked any deep felt connection to the Marvel Universe. Most of the other films had crossover characters that brought cohesiveness to their individual stories. Remember that Hawkeye and Natasha made numerous references to Budapest and I kept waiting for his appearance (even in flashbacks), but it never happened. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ybji16u608U" width="320" youtube-src-id="ybji16u608U"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">4. What Should Have Happened</h3><div>Honestly, Black Widow should have gotten a solo film much earlier in the MCU timeline. She was a legit power house team member in multiple films with plenty of viewer investment. And, an earlier solo vehicle would have packed more impact for the "End Game" finish. Instead, "Captain Marvel" - a character barely introduced near the end of Phase 1 got the first female lead. So, sadly, this all made BW feel more like an after-thought. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>That said, I doubt that studio execs are disappointed with the $200M worldwide haul and are probably wondering why they didn't feature Black Widow before. Overall, the film was entertaining with plenty of action, explosives, a reasonably believable plotline, and some crack attempts at humor. Despite its lack of connectivity to the MCU collective, it had sufficient standalone appeal as an espionage action-adventure vehicle. Of course, Johannson brought it again with flair, excitement and emotional gravitas. And let's face it - we love Romanoff enough to forgive a lot of these peripheral anomalies for the chance to watch her in action - which may never come again. On the other hand - anything is possible in the MCU.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ShtYADkXYBkEPRXJlQQm8wsPBNUGQ-qFw0IkOZYBGkE_w7bI0aR26A_kIyfUU2oCM7p4eAt25YNo70Khe2oXv148hpIBVPimkxP1B9BCplzuF1vvPhc0FcbNBbG61ula6kmkt4joHXnF/s672/4stars.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="212" data-original-width="672" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ShtYADkXYBkEPRXJlQQm8wsPBNUGQ-qFw0IkOZYBGkE_w7bI0aR26A_kIyfUU2oCM7p4eAt25YNo70Khe2oXv148hpIBVPimkxP1B9BCplzuF1vvPhc0FcbNBbG61ula6kmkt4joHXnF/s320/4stars.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /><br /></p></div></div></div>CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-22829203398076772122021-02-17T12:06:00.018-08:002021-03-04T07:36:35.784-08:00WHY WONDER WOMAN 1984? <p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnLthh9EaXRrCpD3M1XvGJIg9ATJII4FgfgYlqB0UVyxysJI0Wu3HETg1P76DBweHtiYKUkFtdhRgsZJ7fHzxXdkdsTRa-F3QbltVj0FX55ZdHSPt3863e0Cew9US69NmCLFydk4hZ1yB/s1200/wonderwoman.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="1200" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnLthh9EaXRrCpD3M1XvGJIg9ATJII4FgfgYlqB0UVyxysJI0Wu3HETg1P76DBweHtiYKUkFtdhRgsZJ7fHzxXdkdsTRa-F3QbltVj0FX55ZdHSPt3863e0Cew9US69NmCLFydk4hZ1yB/w400-h283/wonderwoman.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I was a huge fan of the 2017 Wonder Woman film, which depicted her origins story and journey to becoming a heroine. It was a thrill to see the island of Themyscira - the backdrop that shaped what Diana became, and catch a glimpse of those fierce Amazon women in action.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This original film ended with World War I in 1918, and in Woman Woman 1984 we are fast-forwarded about 70 years into the early 1980s where Diana (who lost Steve in the Great War), has picked up the threads of her life working at the Smithsonian Institute as a museum curator by day while donning her cape in secret. Hers is a lonely existence partly due to the need to retain her superhero anonymity. But when a nondescript artifact arrives at the institute, Diane teams up with a mousy geologist to discover its origins and the story unfolds from there. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Once again, my favorite "oh dang" parts were the jaw-dropping scenes depicting the Amazon Women's Olympics. Those scenes which were like Cirque du Soleil meets Ultimate Beastmaster, had me riveted to my seat. They reminded me of the Dora Milaje Soldiers in the <a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2018/03/black-panthers-marvelosity.html">Black Panther</a> film and I couldn't get enough. And, thank God, Robin Wright returned as Antiope - oh too briefly - to remind us what a kick-ass female general looks like. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Wonder Woman 1984 did not lack for entertainment value from a special effects standpoint, but we all know that CGI alone does not a great movie make. Thus, after those seriously dope all-women opening montages, it took me some time to settle down mentally and track with the actual story. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJot-gVaKDHzVti1EZ2i5I_Q97ocawTB0rWxfRn9xgiZfhiUKKW5c2pAdEw9zCUqqm93ThuMshWB72_IxGcVui0GfFv-EKMAM2uGvghynz0NcKeusQSwfJHwNDF8Jk4khx4L6KSFFvi6E/s1680/wonder+Woman.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1174" data-original-width="1680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJot-gVaKDHzVti1EZ2i5I_Q97ocawTB0rWxfRn9xgiZfhiUKKW5c2pAdEw9zCUqqm93ThuMshWB72_IxGcVui0GfFv-EKMAM2uGvghynz0NcKeusQSwfJHwNDF8Jk4khx4L6KSFFvi6E/s320/wonder+Woman.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Gal Gadot starred again along with Chris Pine as her lost love, Steve. They were joined by Kristin Wigg as the feline villain Cheetah, and Pedro Pascal (Mandolorian) as the arch villain Maxwell Lord. Each of the actors gave a decent performance under returning director Patty Jenkins. However, it seemed like Jenkins lost her way because both villains were too cookie-cutter to truly love or hate. And, the plot would have moved faster with 30 fewer minutes. Unlike the first film with WW simultaneously figuring out how to defeat the bloodthirsty Ares while navigating her superhero pseudonym, this one tried too hard to outdo its predecessor. The plot development was so slow in some places that I felt boredom rising as I waited for the story to pick up.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I could not help thinking that the film possessed all the essential elements of greatness but it never quite got there. This was unfortunate because I <i>really</i> wanted to love this sequel. Understandably, there is pressure after a successful film to surpass the previous version. That said, a good sequel should still show character growth (think Avengers heroes). Diana felt more like a lonely superhero trudging through life rather than someone to champion. There <i>were</i> some moments where WW84 could have resonated more with the audience if Jenkins had deep-dived Diana's personal loss and sacrifice. But I am not sure if this was due to limited direction or simply beyond Gadot's acting abilities. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Overall, WW84 was not a bad one per se, but it over-promised and underdelivered. I was ready to give it 3-Stars, but after seeing a very surprising end-credit scene, I bumped it into a solid 3.5... just for the extra effort. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcQI5XcMUYb44mPYzsEsC6g4yrvmWz0kHEDArsEgj58m3z0dY9A0km8YuV6NHDKe6o_6iEd-lZIuEdXj8OScF2ovGnapb4C0Sduc-pD0YPX4UD9NjmoQN-9IaOwKioOyWcuT7QAkvEkIh/s1280/3.5_stars.svg.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="1280" height="41" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcQI5XcMUYb44mPYzsEsC6g4yrvmWz0kHEDArsEgj58m3z0dY9A0km8YuV6NHDKe6o_6iEd-lZIuEdXj8OScF2ovGnapb4C0Sduc-pD0YPX4UD9NjmoQN-9IaOwKioOyWcuT7QAkvEkIh/w200-h41/3.5_stars.svg.png" width="200" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Now bring me Natasha Romanoff please!</span><p></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2018/03/black-panthers-marvelosity.html">All Hail Black Panther's Female Army!</a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/psFf4KXJZoQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="psFf4KXJZoQ"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-6025574258103990932020-06-25T09:12:00.001-07:002020-06-26T04:49:57.536-07:00BRIAN BANKS PG-13<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2>
A Raw and Inspiring Story</h2>
If you like stories about overcoming insurmountable odds then this one is for you. It is a layered tale, woven with lies, pain, horror, sadness, and injustice. But above all, it is about one man's indefatigable fight to get his life back.<br />
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At age 16, Brian Banks was a gifted high school football player with a promising future in the NFL. His hopes ground to a halt when he was falsely accused of rape. During the legal proceedings his lawyer, convinced that his age, size, and race would never get him a fair trial, pressured him into taking a plea bargain to reduce his sentence.<br />
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The stats show that 95% of criminal cases in the U.S. are plea bargains, so there was nothing unusual about Brian Banks. But unlike thousands of others before him, he could have ended up as another forgotten statistic of a broken legal system. But while behind bars, Banks' story took a miraculous turn when he met a surprising mentor who believed in him and encouraged him not to give up on life. This brief encounter had a transformative effect on him, bringing a fresh hope of overturning his verdict and resuming his dreams to play for the NFL.<br />
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What followed was a riveting and emotional story detailing an extraordinary man's determination to exonerate himself. Banks teamed up with the <a href="https://californiainnocenceproject.org/" target="_blank">California Innocence Project</a> - an organization dedicated to freeing innocent people from prison. The CIP began searching for evidence powerful enough to overturn their client's verdict. Throughout his legal journey, Banks was repeatedly tempted to quit as he encountered endless obstacles crowding his path. But the prospect of living the rest of his life with a rape conviction and sex offender record hanging over him was unacceptable.<br />
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Aldis Hodge gave a strong and career defining performance as the resolute Banks whose determination to prove his innocence illustrated the power of persistence. Hodge played Banks over a 10-year period from the adolescent high-schooler into the 27-year-old parolee. However, during that decade he had learned the power of harnessing his perspectives and emotions, and then positively redirecting them. Even though we know that Banks was innocent from the beginning, the well-paced story still managed to generate suspense around his journey, awe at his level of tenacity, and frustration with an incredibly flawed justice system.<br />
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Hodge was joined by Greg Kinnear (As Good as it Gets) who played Justin Brooks the CIP Director, with "a calling" to free the innocent. Sherri Shepherd (Less than Perfect) played his mother, and Tiffany DuPont (One Night with the King) portrayed the CIP staff attorney who convinced them to add Banks' case to their already overloaded legal roster. Then, there was a little known actor by the name of Morgan Freeman, whose brief inspiration as the prison mentor altered the trajectory of Banks' life.<br />
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Brian Banks' case resonated with me on many levels. Similar to the story of Chris Gardner in "The Pursuit of Happyness," Banks refused to quit while swimming in a sea of adversity that threatened to drown him at any moment. He understood that ultimately, he alone had the power to change his destiny by changing his perspectives and shifting his mindset.<br />
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On another level, I wondered how many other innocent people are in prison right now because of how the criminal justice system operates. I'm not saying everyone who accepts a plea bargain is innocent because justice works when it is rightfully applied. But Banks was incarcerated because his black lawyer understood that as a 6'4" 225-pound black man accused of rape, he fit a cultural stereotype and would never get a fair trial. Now that was the saddest thing of all, because it is a common narrative in a culture where color often precedes character, and guilt is presumed before innocence especially if the defender is a poor minority.<br />
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That said, this film is a powerful reminder that we cannot control the things that happen to us, but we can control our response to them. In 2012 when Banks was finally exonerated in the Los Angeles Superior Court, many reporters asked him if he planned to pursue the woman whose false accusations nearly destroyed his life. And his poignant response was, "Leaving the past behind <i>is</i> leaving the past behind."<br />
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Today, Brian's story continues to inspire those with an impossible dream not to give up, but to press on until they cross the victory line. And that makes it a story that we can all resonate with.<br />
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<a href="https://californiainnocenceproject.org/read-their-stories/brian-banks/#:~:text=In%202002%2C%20seventeen%2Dyear%2D,college%20and%20playing%20professional%20football." target="_blank"><b>Read more about Brian's incredible story here.</b></a><br />
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<a href="https://brianbanksnow.com/" target="_blank"><b>Learn about Brian's inspiring life today.</b></a><br />
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<br />CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-76237774182205966122020-05-19T08:59:00.001-07:002020-05-19T08:59:22.639-07:00A BEAUTIFUL DAY - 5 Stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2>
The Onscreen Therapy We Didn't Know We Needed </h2>
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Just say the name Mr. Rogers to anyone and there is a collective sigh. Millions grew up on the iconic PBS program showcasing the gentle man in the red cardigan and sneakers who talked to us all as though he knew us personally.<br />
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As a Brit, I did not grow up on Mr. Rogers but my kids did. I remember hearing his voice on the living television from wherever I was in house, and there was always something so soothing about the sound. Many times I would pause in what I was doing to catch a few minutes on the floor with the kids as they beheld his gentle magic.<br />
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There were the lovable quirky characters such as King Friday, Lady Elaine, Mr. McFeeley, Lady Abelin and many more. But who can forget how Mr. Rogers made us all feel loved, safe and accepted. I mean, no matter what was going on in the world, we felt better after hearing his kindly spoken endorsements of our identity. And who else could have pulled off Fred Rogers better than the legendary Tom Hanks. Hanks embodied Roger's personality so completely that it felt like he returned to life before our eyes.<br />
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The film was in fact, a story within a story. Matthew Rhys played the embittered investigative journalist Lloyd Vogel who was assigned to cover Rogers in a piece for Esquire Magazine. Against his better judgment, the skeptical Vogel headed to the show's set fully expecting to find someone with a typical television persona in opposition to their reality. As the story progressed, the world-weary Vogel's expectations about Rogers were turned upside down leaving him defenseless and slowing unraveling at the seams. After weeks of interviews and hangout sessions with the unassuming Rogers, Vogel found his own life dramatically changing.<br />
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<i>A Beautiful Day</i> offers a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes Rogers we always hoped was real while delivering the onscreen therapy we didn't know we needed. The film received a 96% on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_beautiful_day_in_the_neighborhood" target="_blank">Rotten Tomatoes</a> and earned Hanks another Oscar nod, and deservedly so. The power of the film was in its simple mimicry of the children's show format interspersed with snippets of meaningful conversations between Vogel and Rogers. Director Marielle Heller's inclusion of touching pivotal scenes evoked reminiscence and were impactful through their sheer simplicity.<br />
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I don't have to tell you that we live in an often cruel, offensive and judgmental world where selfishness appears to reign, and it sometimes feels like good people are scarce. Mr. Rogers was the real thing on and off screen because his world rotated around kindness to everyone he met. And far beyond the television program, he impacted thousands of people daily in every walk of life, one-person-at-a-time. The film was a timely and much-needed reminder that it is love, kindness, and the spirit of generosity that separates, elevates and personifies the best of humanity. <i>A Beautiful Day</i> is more than a worthwhile watch, it is a feel-good entertainment investment that is guaranteed to leave you with the warm fuzzies long after the credits roll.<br />
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Now I'm ready for another episode of John Krasinski's Some Good News.<br />
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<h3>
<u>Read my reviews on some other feel-good films:</u></h3>
<a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-good-lie-pg-13.html" target="_blank">The Good Lie</a> (Reese Witherspoon)<br />
<a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-hundred-foot-journey-pg.html" target="_blank">The Hundred Foot Journey</a> (Helen Mirren)<br />
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<br />CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-25816955357454913132020-03-26T09:36:00.004-07:002020-04-03T11:31:25.525-07:00HARRIET - 5 Stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Leader, Hero, Warrior, Abolitionist </h2>
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Available for streaming, download, rental or purchase everywhere. If you haven't seen the movie "Harriet" yet, DO, you won't be sorry. I can count on one hand the number of films that impact me personally in any given year, and believe me "Harriet" ranks at the top of my current list.<br />
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Honestly, I did not expect this film to be anything beyond another Hollywood hum-drum biopic, perhaps educational, and hopefully enjoyable. I was wrong! It was all that and much more. In case you have no idea who Harriet Tubman was, she was the extraordinary woman who escaped slavery then returned to the South 13 additional times and led more than 70 slaves into freedom. Her immense courage, tenacity, and perseverance lands her squarely in U.S. history as one of our most pivotal heroes in the years leading up to the Civil War.</div>
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Staring the captivating British actress Cynthia Ervio in a big screen breakout role that not only won her a Best Actress Golden Globe, but an Oscar Nomination too. Ervio is supported by Janelle Monae, Leslie Odom, Jr., and Joe Alwyn who provided strong support to her leading role. But make no mistake, it was Ervio's riveting performance as a woman burning with desire to help others escape the chains of slavery that elevated the story and gave it such power.</div>
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Minty (Harriet) escapes from her Maryland plantation and makes it to freedom with the help of the Underground Railroad. She left behind her free husband whom she fears will be sold into slavery if they are caught together. She lands at the Philadelphia boarding house of free-woman Marie Buchanon who helps her assimilate to a new life. After shedding her slavery name, Harriet finds work as a paid servant and attempts to move on with the business of living, but she cannot shake the vision of helping others to find freedom as well.<br />
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Against the strong opposition of the Philadelphia Anti-Slavery Society, she boldly returns alone to the South to rescue others repeatedly. The film's most mesmerizing element is not the way she steals slaves right out from under their master's noses, but the numerous ways they consistently escaped re-capture. You will have to see the film to fully grasp the gutsy types of maneuvers she used that had even the most skeptical critics convinced of her abilities. </div>
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Ervio is thrilling in the role she was born to play exuding gritty determination and fearless faith - dead center of a tumultuous period in our nation's history as change fermented ferociously beneath its surface.<br />
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Unlike slavery films of recent years, "Harriet" manages to stay away from concentrating on the horrors of slavery, and instead, focuses on the heroine's journey and its impactful results. You exit the film with a renewed sense of awe and inspiration for this remarkable woman who carved out a piece of American history through immense courage and faith, resulting in hope.</div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_(film)" target="_blank">Learn more about Harriet Tubman</a></div>
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CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-55059277853813093702020-02-17T17:47:00.001-08:002020-03-09T18:21:23.216-07:00JUDY 4.5 Stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Judy... a Sad but Riveting Masterpiece</h2>
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"Judy" just dropped to the streaming world and I finally got to see it. Truth is, I have been obsessed with Judy Garland for as long as I can remember. To me, hers is one of the most fascinating Hollywood stories ever told. Her life illustrates the heights to which incredible talent can take you, the cost it extracts, and the perils of fame. Judy's story is simultaneously awe-inspiring, and incredibly sad.<br />
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The film is based on the Broadway play "<a href="https://www.broadway.com/shows/end-rainbow/" target="_blank">End of the Rainbow,</a>" and covers the last six months of Garland's life and stars the immensely talented Renee Zellweger. At the point where the movie enters Garland's life, she had been a major motion picture star for 30 years, as well as a child actress for 10 previous to that. She is nearing 50, washed up in Hollywood, broke, homeless, 4-times divorced, and physically weakened from decades of drug addiction. But, with two children to support, Judy must earn a living. She reluctantly leaves her kids with her ex-husband/former manager Sid Luft, and heads to London to perform at the famous "Talk of the Town" night club. However, Judy is a walking time bomb whose personal life collides with her professional one rendering her unstable and unreliable.<br />
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The film alternates between the ailing 40-something star and flashbacks of the teenage Judy embarking on her break-out role in the "Wizard of Oz" in 1938. The intermittent flashbacks attempt to fill-in-the-blanks of Judy's life allowing the audience to understand how she arrived at that point in a London nightclub.<br />
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The film stars Renee Zellwegger who picked up a Best Actress Academy Award for her stellar work. And, she certainly did her homework for the part, reading every book ever written about Judy, watching all her films and TV interviews, and immersing herself in the music. Zellweger infused her performance with a deep empathy revealing Garland's aching vulnerability and an underlying desperation to survive in the face of overwhelming odds. The actress even did her own singing, and although she is a competent singer, she lost me when she sang. I kept expecting to hear Garland's soaring vocals only to be disappointed when it fell short. And, since Garland was such an iconic singer, those particular moments moved the film out of a full 5-star rating for me.<br />
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Judy was arguably one of the greatest musical talents of all time, whose films topped the box office for a decade, and whose songs like "Over the Rainbow, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Come on Get Happy," and so many more have been recorded by every crooner from the 1940s to the present day.<br />
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As I watched the film, I couldn't help thinking about the recent Taylor Swift Netflix documentary "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40RsbcFRwNA" target="_blank">Miss Americana</a>" that echoed so many of the pitfalls of fame - albeit with far less tragedy. Both films serve as a stark reminder about the pitfalls of fame and that everything is never as it appears. That said, I'm still glad that Hollywood continues to tell Garland's story, because it introduces her to a whole new generation of movie goers who <i>should</i> hear the significant contributions she made to the 20th Century movie musicals genre. And, long may she live in our memories, because despite the sadness of her personal life - she brought great joy to the world through her unforgettable talent.<br />
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Check out Vanity Fairs <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/09/judy-garland-essential-movies" target="_blank">9 Essential Judy Garland Films to Watch after Judy </a></h4>
<br />CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-88055028426204678382020-01-07T18:11:00.003-08:002021-03-01T09:06:24.876-08:00STAR WARS RISE OF SKYWALKER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, right off the bat, I am not a die-hard Star Wars fan. So don't expect an analytical breakdown of the film, its storyline or the characters. In fact, if you've read any of my other reviews, you know by now that I measure films almost exclusively by entertainment value. You see, I believe movies are meant to entertain above all else. But, if you happen to get a great story and characters that resonate - that's gravy.<br />
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And, I did not see this film's predecessor "The Last Jedi" although I caught "The Force Awakens." That said, since it wasn't rocket science, I had no trouble piecing the story together. Yep, this film was a barrel of fun. It checked all my entertainment boxes with action, humor, suspense, and just enough plot to keep the thing from completely falling apart. I laughed, I teared-up, and I cheered in all the appropriate places, then exited the theater pleased that good had triumphed over evil once again.<br />
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The 9th film in the Lucasfilm franchise featured returning stars Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Fin), Oscar Isaac (Poe), dearly-departed Carrie Fisher (Princess/General Leia), and Adam Driver as Kylo Ren. And, I was overjoyed to see the inimitable Billy Dee Williams returning as Lando Calrissian - and still pulling off some cool factor four decades later.<br />
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BUT, story, actors, CGI, and action scenes etc. aside, it was the droids BB8, D-O, and C3PO who stole all the scenes with their lovable antics. And D-O was perhaps the cutest one yet. Hello - do the award ceremonies have awards for droids? (I mean a real actor has to still voice the part. right?) Anyway, the droids were not short on the comic relief. And, I'm so glad because I might have slipped into lala land otherwise, as a wholly predictable plot unfolded to its no-surprise ending. And, since I've already admitted I'm no Star Wars fan, 'dem droids saved my bacon. Seriously...Marvel has ruined us all.<br />
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I remember when the first Star Wars movie debuted in 1977, (wait was I born yet? Haha). But it was like the movie world as we knew it was forever changed. At the time, it was like nothing we had ever seen, and it introduced a burgeoning CGI world to movie-goers that would be cringe-worthy by today's standards. But, beyond the space adventures, we all fell in love with Luke, Leia, and Hans Solo, and cheered their fight for good in the galaxy. No one could have predicted its endurance and popularity 40-years later, but as Yoda would say, endure it has.<br />
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That said, regardless of the story's purity or lack thereof, excellence or mediocrity, Star Wars has always represented bankability to Hollywood coffers. I mean what the heck, if Fast and Furious can keep churning out films featuring a bunch of guys (ok really cool ones), driving fast cars, then Lucasfilm ought to have no shame in their game.<br />
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At the end of the day, I enjoyed The Rise of Skywalker at face value. I did not go into it with great expectations, so I was not disappointed. It was a fast-paced and fun family-friendly space frolic for all ages to sit together and enjoy, which cannot be said about most films. So, if you are a purest looking for a seamless story abounding with twists and turns coupled with in-depth characters, you're outer luck. but if you just want 2 hours of movie-seeker tongue-in-cheek thrills, then this one's for you.<br />
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Ok...so someone please tell me when the next Marvel film opens?<br />
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<br />CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-68431484818714716682019-08-15T18:26:00.003-07:002019-08-16T13:41:21.391-07:00AVENGERS END GAME BROKE ME DOWN<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After waiting for a year in trepidation to see what would happen in the “final” installment of the MCU, I was ready for Endgame. I mean, never had a finger snap meant so much. And, God knows, I needed the closure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After seeing part one, it took me a few weeks to wrap my brain around seeing some of my favorites snapped into dust. Of course it didn’t help that Disney kept secrets to any sequel bolted down tighter than a bank vault. But seriously, did you ever really doubt there would be one? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>STORY SET UP:</b> End Game opens days after the “finger snap” that obliterated half the universe’s population courtesy of the maniacal Thanos. Tony Stark, AKA Ironman is stranded in deep space without hope. And, the surviving Avengers are all about retribution. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The remaining team members confront Thanos hoping to overcome him and reverse the apocalypse. But no dice. They discover that he has destroyed the gauntlet and Infinity Stones, and there is no going back. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Five years pass and everyone is attempting to move on. Tony has actually made a life with Pepper. Steve (Captain America) facilitates a support group and Natalie (the Black Widow), is barely holding things together. But, no one, and I mean no one, catches us by surprise more than Thor. He has not done well in the 5 years. He “retired” to a back-water town renamed “New Asgard” and spends his days drinking and gaming with Korg while letting his Asgardian physique go to pot. In fact, the one team member with personal growth is David Banner (the Hulk), who has fused his brilliant scientific mind with his monster alter-ego. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enter Ant Man, who has inadvertently escaped from the Quantum Zone where he was been "stuck" for 5-years, with one crazy idea - that just might work. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All in all, I felt like the story dragged a bit in the first 90-minutes. Not because it was boring, but from impatience to get to the good part where they finally beat Thanos. But I get it. There was 10 years and 20 storylines to wrap up, and Director's Tony and Joe Russo were not about to rush to the finish line.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all know that there was never really a question of whether the Avengers would win, but how. And that final battle scene was epic. After wrapping up significant (and humorous) storylines of the major characters, it was time for the BIG return face-off with Thanos. This battle had so many moving parts that it made the previous Avengers films look simple by comparison. But that moment when the "dusted" heroes reappear to rejoin the war is a STAND UP and CHEER event!</span><br />
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Maybe not surprisingly, the film had a strong family theme. Don't you know - this motley group of egotistical superheroes, (about as flawed as you can get), needed their family to find closure. And I was broke over the fact that Thor needed his mother to rise again from overwhelmingly guilt. Tony needed his father to gain perspective on the true meaning of sacrifice. And, Captain America knew that having the love of his life mattered more than being a hero.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the year leading up to Endgame, there was plenty of supposition about how the Avengers would finally defeat Thanos. For the record, I am s<u>o glad</u> that my personal theory panned out. (But that's one spoiler I'll leave for the 2 people on the planet that haven't seen the film yet.) However, a great ending didn't stop me from sobbing my way through the last 20 minutes of the film. (I haven't cried this much since the Fellowship dismantled on Middle Earth.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, it was time to say goodbye to our heroes. Ironman, Captain America, and Thor bowed out dutifully, and our collective hearts ached to see them go. We loved them, not because they saved the world, but because they were superheroes with very human flaws. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a Satisfying End</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, the major loose ends from 20 different films were tied up. Some were more satisfying than others. But never before in movie history has a multi-film franchise made it far enough to need such gigantic closure. It was an ambitious undertaking that worked. All I can say is, "</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks guys for a good time, for giving us something great to cheer for in a world not always easy to understand. And thanks for 10-years of some of the best movie entertainment ever seen on the big screen!"</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">For Stan.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Avengers Infinity War</span><br />
<a href="https://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2018/06/avengers-infinity-wars-pg-13.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">https://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2018/06/avengers-infinity-wars-pg-13.html</span></a></div>
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CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-30451145662113818252019-01-29T17:03:00.001-08:002019-01-30T09:40:31.738-08:00CRAZY RICH ASIANS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I Liked It and You Should See It</h2>
Truth is, when I first heard about "Crazy Rich Asians" I dismissed it because I am not a fan of romantic comedies per se. But I heard so much good buzz about this one that it was worth a try, and glad I did.<br />
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Constance Wu (Fresh off the Boat) starred as Rachel Chu, a Chinese-American who has been steadily dating Nick Young, played by acting newcomer Henry Golding. Their relationship progresses as expected, when he invites her to Singapore to attend his best friend's wedding, at which he was tagged for best man. Of course she agrees. As they travel back to his country it dawns on Rachel that her "ordinary" boyfriend is a little wealthier than she had realized - in fact he's filthy rich. The unsuspecting Rachel is thrust upon Nick's family where she is summarily inspected like store merchandise and dismissed as a non-threat. But, as the story goes, Rachel - a smart college economics professor, catches onto the familial vibe and strategizes a few counter-attacks of her own to everyone's surprise.<br />
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Then, the plot is off to the races in a refreshing take on a traditional story with plenty of zany characters to go around. Nick's relatives are a riot - like the power-tripping movie director, the image-obsessed business mogul, the blase PR man, the moronic cousin, and the socialite sister. My money was on the heroine's sidekick hilariously played by Awkwafina, who stole every scene as the wise-cracking friend.<br />
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Henry Golding as Nick was a likeable combination of sweet, sexy and utterly charming. Golding did immensely well in his first acting gig and said that director, John Chu begged him to do it after seeing him on a travel show. I did not read the book which the movie was based on, but I believe that most other actors would have come across as conniving . But Golding exuded a unique brand of manly innocence that made me realize why John Chu wanted him in the part. Of course, we all knew how the story would ultimately end, but the fun was in watching how they got there.<br />
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<u>Why You Should See It</u><br />
<ol>
<li>It starred an all-Asian cast in a widely released film by a major studio (and about time).</li>
<li>Like "Black Panther" it was a long-overdue platform for racial diversity in Hollywood.</li>
<li>It was a social commentary about Asian life (albeit the super-rich) not usually seen by U.S. audiences.</li>
<li>It was the first all-Asian major motion picture in 20-years (since Joy Luck Club).</li>
<li>There were no martial arts in sight.</li>
<li>It destroyed many Asian stereotypes.</li>
<li>It had all the elements of an American comedy, but with Asians.</li>
<li>It revealed the rarely seen beauty and traditions of a modern Asian culture. </li>
<li>It was a clever fusion of the Asian and American culture.</li>
<li>It was definitely romantic.</li>
<li>It was truly funny.</li>
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With an innumerable amount of romantic comedies in circulation, "Crazy Rich Asians" was a refreshing take on the standard fish-out-of-water story with plenty of laughs and lots of heart. It made me smile, laugh and cry, and any film that achieves all three gets my rom-com vote. Most of all, it was one of the most entertaining movies in its genre since - I can't remember when. And, I can't believe I'm saying this, but when is "Crazy Rich Asians II" coming out?</div>
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Check out <a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2016/04/my-big-fat-greek-wedding-2.html" target="_blank">My Big Greek Wedding II here</a><br />
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<br />CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-7312693003049510202019-01-10T19:10:00.001-08:002019-01-15T10:14:59.565-08:00POPPINS RETURNS POPS WITH FUN!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2>
Mary Poppins (PG)</h2>
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<u>The Story:</u></h4>
In case you were wondering, this story takes place about 20 years after the original ends. The Banks children Michael and Jane are all grown up now. Michael Banks is a widower struggling to raise his children while holding down a mundane teller job. He is unable to make ends meet and before long lawyers from the bank arrive threatening imminent repossession of his childhood home. And just when he thinks that hope is nearly lost, Mary Poppins descends from the skies bringing her special brand of charm.<br />
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<u>The Strategy:</u></h4>
So how do you follow up to a top-notch family film that is indelibly etched into American movie consciousness? You pull out all the stops with a top-notch cast of actors, craft a story that connects with the original and pull in some strategically placed cameos by screen and musical legends. And that is exactly what worked here, with an all-star cast headed up by Emily Blunt as Mary, Lin-Manuel Miranda as Jack the lamp lighter, Ben Whishaw as Michael Banks, Emily Mortimer as Jane Banks, Meryl Streep as Topsy, Colin Firth and Julie Walters.<br />
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<u><b>The Cast</b></u>:</h4>
Let's face it - Julie Andrews left some enormous shoes to fill after her 1964 original <i>and </i>perfectly crafted portrayal as Mary Poppins. However, Blunt stepped into her shoes admirably by simultaneously playing the strait-laced, highly esteemed, no-nonsense Mary while bringing her own touch of panache to the role. Blunt oozed doses of charm throughout the film sailing from one whimsical dance and song number to another with sufficient grace and believability as few other actress could have done. Her co-star Lin-Manuel Miranda was fun to watch in a role so different from his wildly successful Hamilton part. He sang, he danced - complete with a fake cockney accent just as bad as Dick Van Dyke's was in the original.<br />
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<u>The Songs:</u></h4>
Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittmore penned a likable song assortment that moved the story along in appropriate places: Songs like the poignant "The Place Lost Things Go" the fun "Turning Turtle" the foot-tapping "Trip a Little Light," and my favorite "Nowhere to Go But Up." Plus, I liked the fact that the songwriters whipped up Broadway-styled tunes rather than trying to modernize the music. It gave MPR the feel of a stage show made into a movie, and that was fine with me.<br />
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<u><b>A Winning Supporting Cast</b></u></h4>
Certainly Blunt and Miranda held their own in these musical roles but it was the supporting cast members and guest cameos that really helped sell the film. Julie Walters was incredibly funny as the lovable but bossy housekeeper with a ready opinion for everything. And the film included Topsy a character lifted from P.L. Travers' books that was not part of the original film. Topsy is Mary's cousin who runs a fixit shop that turns upside down every second Wednesday. She was played sensationally by the irreplaceable Meryl Streep. Once again Streep proved she can play anything. Oh joy! I could have watched her all day long playing the ridiculous Topsy.<br />
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And speaking of screen and musical legends; the film features a marvelous scene with Dick Van Dyke as the bank owner. The 93-year-old Van Dyke dances on the desk for an oh-too-short moment that was filled with buckets of charm. And, to make my joy complete, Angela Lansbury (also 93) wrapped up the story-ending with a bow singing "Nowhere to Go But Up."<br />
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<u><b>Was it Worth It?</b></u></h4>
Yes, for two reasons. The story was immensely entertaining (which was the whole point), and I believed Blunt in the Poppins' role. If she had not been credible the entire story would have tanked. But, I was thoroughly charmed and delighted by this updated rendering of my beloved childhood favorite. I left the theater thankful that, for once, Hollywood got it right. It has taken exactly 55 years to bring Mary Poppins back to life, but I think it was worth the wait.<br />
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Check out my similar film reviews:<br />
<a href="https://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-greatest-showman-sizzles-with-fun.html" target="_blank">The Greatest Showman</a><br />
<a href="https://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2015/02/paddington-pg.htm" target="_blank">Paddington</a><br />
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<br />CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-17478811769586236102018-12-27T19:00:00.002-08:002019-01-15T10:27:00.957-08:00AQUAMAN <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Aquaman rules the waves on the big screen and at the movie theaters making nearly $600M worldwide since its December 20 debut. The film left its competition "Mary Poppins Returns" and "Bumblebee" literally in its cinematic wake.<br />
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Starring the sizzling Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones), the film is a ground-breaking CGI journey through the underwater world of Atlantis that serves as the backdrop to Aquaman's beginnings.<br />
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As the story goes; an Atlantis Queen fleeing for her life lands on the "doorstep" of a lowly lighthouse keeper who unwittingly takes her in without knowing the ramifications of his actions. The two fall in love and produce a half-breed son - the product of two completely different worlds. In due season the child grows into manhood discovering his powers along the way before destiny comes calling in the form of a war for the throne of Atlantis and its next king.<br />
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Also starring Amber Heard (The Informers 2008), Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (The Greatest Showman) and Dolph Lungren, the film echoes the flavors of the 2013 "Man of Steel", and the 2017 "Wonder Woman." You are immediately both fascinated and captivated by the story of a boy that is a product of two worlds but does not belong fully in either.<br />
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Jason Momoa rebooted his role as superhero of the seas which he debuted in the 2017 Justice League. But in this version, he was fully fleshed out, and for the first time audiences get to see what makes him tick as we see his origins. Momoa was exciting, captivating and exuding massive amounts of on-screen sex-appeal as he <i>eyebrowed</i> and muscled his way from scene to scene with enough believability in the character to make viewers care about his fate.<br />
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The project worked because it took itself seriously by casting seasoned actors like Dafoe and Kidman with the acting chops to bring gravity to what might have otherwise been polyester characters. But it was Kidman who interested me the most as Atlanna. Kidman is an Oscar winner with a heavy resume of films to her credit - most of them serious. So, it was really fun to see her in this kickass warrior role as she powered through it in a manner worthy of the famous Amazon herself. And though Kidman had precious little screen time - I was sold on every moment she occupied.<br />
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Story and actors aside; it was the underwater scenes that stole the show with stunning and 100% believable scenery of the mysterious Atlantis like we have never seen it done before. It was a directorial vision gone wild, as Director James Wan admitted. Since 70% of the story took place under water it had to be realistic or the entire film would have failed. Those scenes involved some very uncomfortable work for the actors, but they pulled it off superbly and the attention to detail, fluidity and seamlessness in those sequences not only worked, but made them exquisite to watch.<br />
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At 2.5 hours the film never seems to drag. It moves at a steady pace that cleverly balances the storyline with plenty of breathtaking battle scenes, some action-adventure, and a smidgen of romance tossed in for good measure.<br />
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I for one was captivated by it all. Momoa completely owned the story in a worthy rendering of Aquaman, and I have a feeling he will rule the waves at box offices for many weeks to come. And, now that the Oscars have added an "Outstanding Popular Film" category, Aquaman may be one to watch in 2019.<br />
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Check out my similar film reviews:<br />
<a href="https://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2018/06/avengers-infinity-wars-pg-13.html" target="_blank">Avengers Infinity Wars</a><br />
<a href="https://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2018/03/black-panthers-marvelosity.html" target="_blank">The Black Panther</a><br />
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<br />CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-22821106967816018612018-06-20T19:56:00.003-07:002018-06-20T19:58:38.849-07:00Oceans 8 - PG-13<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2>
The Chicks Rule in Oceans 8</h2>
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I am a huge fan of the Oceans franchise. I have lost count of the many times I've watched Danny Ocean and the gang in the previous 3 movies. And you know what? I laugh in all the same places - some things just never get old.<br />
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Truth told - I love me a heist film. Any movie depicting crooks ripping off other crooks and I'm in. What? So, when I heard that an all gal-version was underway starring Sandra Bullock, I was fully on board and so glad that I took this particular ride.<br />
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Sandra Bullock stars as Danny Ocean's younger sister Debbie who has just made parole after 5 years in prison. She gathers a cast of characters played by Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Helena Bonham-Carter and Awkafina in a chick-powered comedy heist. Their plan is to steal a $160M Cartier necklace straight off the neck of dumb actress Daphne Kluger, played sparklingly by Anne Hathaway. A little arm-twisting, a bit of manipulation, some hefty promises and a few cons later, Ocean is ready to spring the biggest girl-led robbery in history.<br />
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The fun begins almost from the start as we watch Debbie finagle her way through a parole hearing that would have done her brother proud. Of course, she leaves the prison walls and heads straight into a con that sets her up in style at a posh New York City Hotel with designer clothing and jewelry to boot.<br />
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You see Debbie has had 5 years to come up with the perfect plan and has left no stone unturned in the planning process. And of course one job wasn't enough, she's running a job in a job. Her strategy is initially met with skepticism by the team. (After all she's not Danny) But after dangling their individual takes from the job - it's nearly smooth sailing as the jigsaw puzzle plan goes into motion.<br />
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The Oceans 8 spin-off sets a somewhat slow pace during the first 30 minutes or so. But, once the plan goes into motion the fun really begins as the comedy ramps up, the cameos pop up all over the place and the plot twists keep you guessing until the end.<br />
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Bullock and the cast was hilarious in this Oceans rendering, especially Hathaway as the actress they rip off and Helena Bonham-Carter as the gullible has-been designer Rose. The ladies are joined on screen by the always-funny James Corden (The Late Late Show) and Brit actor James Armitage (The Hobbit).<br />
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It was such fun to see actresses like on-screen thespian Cate Blanchett in a light-hearted role. Bullock was believable as the hard-nosed Ocean with an axe to grind, and Bonham-Carter can play comedy for days. But Anne Hathaway acted the stupid actress part so well that you were rooting for the team to snatch the dang jewels off her stuck-up neck.<br />
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Oceans 8 was an onscreen frolic and a worthy follow-up to the Oceans franchise that I for one hope they continue. Oceans 9 - maybe. Bring it!<br />
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<br />CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-85313803976489255492018-06-20T18:50:00.000-07:002018-06-20T18:50:13.807-07:00AVENGER'S INFINITY WARS PG-13<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Just saw Avenger's Infinity Wars - Therapy Needed!</h2>
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Yep, I'm late to the game, but it took me this long to recover from final-scenes-shock. And, I didn't even stay for the post-credits scene. I was outta there the minute it was over. <b>SPOILERS ALERT!</b></div>
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Action, fun, drama, romance, suspense, mystery and death. That about sums up the 2 1/2 hour film. If you haven't seen it by now, its not my problem. AND, since I am so late to the review table, I will spare you the standard review of the film, production values, acting, casting etc. and go straight for the jugular - which is that half the good guys die at the end, or at least are snuffed out by Thanos' gauntlet, and it was a <u>real</u> bummer. So rather than my typical review, I decided this one would be a rant.</div>
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I usually leave the Marvel films feeling upbeat after seeing the good guys beat the bad guys. After all, that's the way its supposed to be. We spend about half the film watching the heroes get into seemingly impossible situations then somehow figure out a way to turn it around and defeat the villain. And, that's the way I like it, thank you very much. But Infinity Wars turned the apple cart upside down by killing off some of my favorite suits and I left the theater thinking,"What the hell just happened?" Seriously? I thought that senseless storylines were the domain of DC Comics. If I sound like I'm whining then you're right! That's pretty much what this post is all about. And dang it, its my opinion. (If you don't agree - get your own blog or comment below...I dare ya). </div>
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So, having said that I do realize that Infinity Wars was the first of a 2-part story where I hope that our dearly departed ones will somehow spring back to life in Marvel Universe style. But that fact still didn't diminish my sense of shock and disappointment as I watched my favorites killed or vaporized by the egotistical, maniacle and universally psychotic Thanos. I mean this was the first and only time that I left a Marvel movie without waiting for the famous post credits scenes that usually set you up for the sequel. Frankly, this time...I was just looking for a therapist.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, here are the things that bothered me about the film: Loki dies. Heimdell dies, Gamora, who knows the depths of her father's evil, is dupped into following him to Vormir and dies. <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Barnes, T'Challa, Groot, Maximoff, Wilson, Mantis, Drax, Quill, Strange, and Parker are all vaporized</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> and we are basically left with the "<i>Fab-Four</i>" Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America and Thor - thank God.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">I have been an ardent fan since the very first Ironman film debuted 10 years ago. I have eagerly followed this group of galactic heroes reflect the very best and worst of mankind through 19 films (dang has it been that many already- I need a life.) But seriously, I have loved every minute of watching them fight, battle their inner demons, each other and most of all, triumph over the villains. So it was an added shock to watch so many of them bite the dust (forgive the pun), in one film.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">Having said all that, like a longterm marriage, my love affair with these heroes remains in tact. And yes, because I'm a gluten for punishment, I'll probably be one of the first in line to see Part 2 (assuming there is one). </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Finally, according to Marvel's carefully crafted rumor mill, there are indeed signs of life - resurrections of a sort. Guardians of the Galaxy Part 3 is underway, Spiderman Part 2 is a-coming, and let's face it, after the mega success of the Black Panther, there is no universe in which a second installment won't be made.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">And thus, I can finally sleep at night - knowing that somewhere in the completely realistic, rational and morale importing Marvel Universe lurks resurrections of the dead. And you thought that was only in the Bible.</span></span></div>
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CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-67198052434257332542018-05-02T10:01:00.000-07:002018-06-21T18:08:20.861-07:00THE COMMUTER PG-13<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tightly-Scripted Suspense Thriller </h3>
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Liam Neeson proved he could "bring it" again in this tightly wound action-suspense ride that reminded us all why we love the 60-something actor in action films.</div>
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Neeson plays Insurance Salesman Michael MacCauley, whose run-of-the-mill daily commute into New York City changes drastically one day when he encounters a beautiful stranger on the train. In Svengali-like fashion, the woman dangles the offer of a lifetime before him if he will perform one "small" simple thing for her.</div>
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Michael's former NYPD Police Officer curiosity kicks in and he decides to follow the threads of the mysterious offer. You guessed it! The tantalizing request is not what it seems - neither simple or small, and he soon finds himself in the middle of a poker game from hell with no point of return.</div>
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It is a tight script with little fluff and plenty of last minute suspense that keeps you guessing until the end. And although we have seen similar stories before, no one plays the caged animal unleashed quite like Neeson. He gives an acute performance as a man trapped by his own financial need and overt curiosity into an unforeseen and unimaginable nightmare with about as many twists and turns as the corkscrew ride at an amusement park. He soon figures out that powerful people have found his Achilles heel and he's not taking it lying down.</div>
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Neeson is supported by Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel), Sam Neill (Peaky Blunders) and Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring). Vera Farmiga plays the stranger Joanna who presents the cash-strapped Michael with the offer before a swift disappearing act at the next stop. When Joanna sits down you immediately know something is up. Farmiga gives a neatly packaged portrayal as the friendly psychologist who baits her unwitting fish who's unaware he is to become shark food. Sam Neill plays the city police captain and Michael's former boss, and Patrick Wilson is his old friend and former police partner.</div>
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But it is Neeson's planet and the other actors orbit around him as strong supporters without stealing the scenes. The unique thing about Liam Neeson is his back-to-front career that began as a serious actor piling up meaty roles and accolades for films like Schindler's List (1993), Gangs of New York (2002) and Michael Collins (1998). Then, at an age when most actors are scrambling for older actor scripts, his career got a major reboot with the 2008 film Taken. Interestingly enough, no one was more surprised by its success than Neeson. At the time he stated that he thought it was going to be a straight-to-video release. The next thing he knew - he was a bonafide action star in his 60s, which is unprecedented in Hollywood.</div>
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Yet, this is the reason Neeson resonates in the action genre; he pulls from decades of solid acting experience that moves him beyond the handsome muscle bound caricature. His action-hero's are relatable people we can live through vicariously for every moment where we felt used, abused and vulnerable without the means to retaliate. </div>
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Neeson recently stated he was done with the action hero roles and I can't blame him. Despite enjoying a leading-role career resurgence that few of his peers can boast; he's playing heavy fighting scenes requiring massive amounts of strength and stamina at the national retirement age. (The man must be tired.)</div>
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The Commuter scored 57% on Rotten Tomatoes, but I am giving it a 75%. First, because Neeson rocks, second - it was a gripping story balanced with good fight scenes and curveball moments, and third - did I mention that Neeson rocks? But seriously, the Commuter didn't haul the type of money that Taken made, but it did alright with a $40M budget that made $116M. That's doubling the investment and that type of profit margin still makes it a home run in the world of movie entertainment. And, I like the message it sends - that not all action heroes are cut from the same cookie-cutter, or the same age group for that matter. Who knows maybe Jeff Goldblum is next...</div>
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For more action film reviews see:</div>
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<a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2013/08/red-2-unashamed-fun-red-2-aka-retired.html" target="_blank">Red 2 </a></div>
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<a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2017/04/hacksaw-ridge-r.html" target="_blank">Hasksaw Ridge</a></div>
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CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-74602134997375160782018-03-13T15:55:00.001-07:002018-03-20T18:02:00.811-07:00BLACK PANTHER'S MARVELOSITY<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Every so often a film comes along that “disturbs the force,” upsets the industry status quo, re-opens a cultural narrative and galvanizes a people group. Black Panther is that film. <br /><br />My usual modus operandi is to stick with entertainment value, acting ability and production, (and I will touch on those). But this film begs a cultural reaction, because it has re-stirred the pot of a conversation we are still having in 2018. Thus, I find myself making a somewhat hesitant, if not cornered response.<br /><br />As the story goes, Black Panther picks up immediately after "Captain America Civil War" with King T'Challa who returns to his homeland following the death of his father. And, though he has trained for the role his entire life, he still feels unprepared to take the throne. As Wakanda’s new king, he walks a tightrope between national principle/survival, versus the greater global good. He soon discovers that ascending the throne comes with monumental challenges both at home and from abroad. <br /><br />The movie stars <a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2013/04/42-scores-box-office-home-run-chadwick.html">Chadwick Boseman</a> as the titular Black Panther. He is joined by a <a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2013/09/lee-daniels-butler-after-summer-of.html">Forest Whitaker</a>, Lupita Nyong'o, Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira, <a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2015/06/sherlock-holmes-bbc.html">Martin Freeman</a>, the incompatible, <a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2014/07/sci-fi-adventure-i-confess-i-was-not.html">AndySerkis</a> and Letitia Wright as T’Challa’s nerdy tech-genius sister. Critically acclaimed Creed star Michael B. Jordan is deeply intriguing as the complex and tortured villain Erik Killmonger. His tragic story at the beginning of the film lays the groundwork for the plot while offering us an insight into T’Challa’s thinking.<br /><br />The other cast members were stellar largely due to their considerable acting prowess. But it was Letitia Wright as T'Challa's adolescent tech-wizard sibling that I loved. Think "Q" from the Bond movies only much younger, black, female...and okay African. Wright as Shuri literally brought the 'bubbly' to every scene in what might have been a somewhat darker story. Shuri's brilliance harnessed the power of vibranium to mind-boggling heights and supplied a level of tech that would make Tony Stark weep with envy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Director Ryan Coogler does not mince words in his storytelling, refusing to shy away from our nation’s grim history of slavery and the costs of exploiting an entire people. He lifts a 200-year-old conversation from among the black community and splatters it on the big screen for all to see. Then, in provocative fashion, he shows us all what Africa “might” have been in the fictitious un-colonized Wakanda. <br /><br />This film rocked on so many levels that it would take 3 or 4 reviews to cover them all. But for me, the most compelling thrill of all was the Dora Milaje – King T’Challa’s all-female personal body guards, led by the riveting General Okoye (Danai Gurira). They are action stars in their own right – protectors of the throne, they speak only to the king and they are FIERCE. Hand-picked from tribes across the nation of Wakanda, the Dora Milaje are trained from birth in martial arts, hand-to-hand combat and weaponry. Not since Wonder Woman have we seen so much female-fierceness on screen. <br /><br />Have crossed the $1-billion mark worldwide, Black Panther has broken nearly every record possible in the Marvel Universe, or any other universe for that matter. And the records keep mounting as it makes history as the first $200M+ highly productionized movie with a black director, cast, costume designer, soundtrack, etc. It represents an egoless hero, a kick-ass female guard, champions gender equality buoyed by mutual respect. And, to top it all, Wakanda’s super-tech brainiac is a teenage girl with abilities to make Tony Stark weep.<br /><br />One of the reasons I love films is that I understand the immense power they wield through messages and imagery. And, over the last few weeks I have watched YouTube videos depicting countless inner-city kids beside themselves at the opportunity to see a hero that looks like them. I have observed people of color leaving the theater in tears. And, I have seen numerous social media postings of what this film has meant to so many.<br /><br />In 1966 when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced King T’Challa in a comic book edition of the Fantastic Four, its timely appeal hit dead center of the civil rights era. And, according to Lee, they had no thoughts about social commentary - racial or otherwise. They only wanted to represent the America they saw around them.<br /><br />Fifty-years’ ago, Lee and Kirby had no way of knowing the impact of the Black Panther. They didn't know that he would morph into one of Disney Studio’s biggest hits in its history or resonate with so many on both social and cultural levels. Above all, they had no idea that their fictitious comic book character would inadvertently spoon-feed the malnutrition of an entire culture still hungering for mass vindication and validation. Or, that the hopes of little black girls and boys everywhere would see it and believe that they TOO could become something more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2017/06/7-reasons-wonder-woman-is-fierce.html" target="_blank">Wonder Woman</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2013/06/man-of-steel-soars-to-epic-proportions.html" target="_blank">Man of Steel</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2013/06/iron-man-3-is-iron-clad-action-if-you.html" target="_blank">Ironman 3</a></span></div>
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<br />CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-59014319419704387262018-01-17T17:18:00.003-08:002020-02-21T13:43:38.340-08:00PADDINGTON 2 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The Bear Returns and what a Hoot...</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wish I could tell you that the second Paddington movie was only half as good as the original - and that it was as dull as the grave. Sorry, but I think I beat my previous record for laugh-out-loud volume at the theater. Honest to God, the kid next to me was giving me "the eye." What? Okay, so I laughed until my sides ached and tears rolled down my face. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I mean - honestly, how can so much cute-factor rest in one silly little bear? But you see that is the very thing about Paddington - that he is simply a sweet, kind and very lovable disaster. Oh, did I mention that he's polite? Oh yes, to a fault, and don't you forget it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As the story picks up, Paddington has settled in nicely with the Brown family at Windsor Gardens and life is jolly for all. By this time he has befriended the entire neighborhood who look forward to his daily foray into the streets where he hands out the Paddington brand of love, friendship and moral support. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is his Aunt Lucy's 100th birthday and Paddington wants to give her a smashing gift to celebrate. He heads down to Mr. Gruber's Antique Shop to find just the right present. He discovers a London pop-up book, which is just the thing for dear old Aunt Lucy. Paddington picks up a series of odd jobs to raise the extra money to buy it, but the book is stolen before he can purchase it. And, what follows is a trail of slapstick misadventures as he tries to catch the thief and recover the book, which lands him in prison - oh the horrors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank God the original cast returned; Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins as Mr. and Mrs. Brown, Julie Walters as the no-nonsense Mrs. Bird, Jim Broadbent as shop owner, Mr. Gruber and the marvelous Ben Whishaw, who voiced Paddington to perfection. And, in this case the villain was played with tongue-in-cheek flair by Hugh Grant, (how did he keep a straight face?) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All of the clever elements I enjoyed so much in the first film were back, such as a random calypso band appearing at the oddest moments, the miniature cardboard cut-out stories within-a-story and plenty of the whimsical to go around. Truthfully, if you threw all the elements of this film into any other production - it would have come off stupid, but they all work marvelously in Paddington 2 by only adding to its goofy charm and sweetness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you've read any of my previous reviews, you will know that I am not a fan of sequels. But, director Paul King defied the odds and pulled another winner out of his hat with this one. The movie achieved a rare </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">100% rating on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/paddington_2/" target="_blank">Rotten Tomatoes</a> and according to the <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/paddington-2-rotten-tomatoes-record-100-percent-reviews-a8162341.html" target="_blank"><i>Independent</i> <i>News</i></a>, is only the 4th film in its history to have gotten a perfect score. Well done I say!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Truth be told, if I were running the awards shows there would be a new category titled "Best Silly/Goofy Over-The-Top Family Film" and the winner of course, would be Paddington. But until the awards muckety-mucks come to their senses, my inner child will have to make do with re-runs. Oh, and I think I may just need cheering up about every four weeks or so.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To see more reviews like this:</span><br />
<a href="https://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2015/11/inside-out-pg-new-to-dvd.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Inside Out</span></a><br />
<a href="https://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2015/02/paddington-pg.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Paddington 2014</span></a><br />
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CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-53092398441729838182018-01-07T16:47:00.000-08:002019-01-10T19:26:17.273-08:00THE GREATEST SHOWMAN Sizzles with Fun<h2 style="text-align: center;">
2018 Golden Globe Winner - Best Original Song</h2>
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Within 10 minutes of The Greatest Showman I was swept away in this family-friendly film by an engaging story, fun characters and breathtaking songs.<br />
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Star, Hugh Jackman was joined by Zac Efron (High School Musical), who played his business partner, Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea), as his longsuffering wife and Zendaya (Spiderman Homecoming) as the controversial black flying trapeze artist.<br />
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Starring Hugh Jackman, The Greatest Showman is the loosely based origins story of P.T. Barnum who coulad arguably be called the inventor of show business. Barnum was an over-the-top self-aggrandizing personality who rose from a poverty-stricken childhood to take center stage as the ringmaster of what eventually became the world’s most famous circus. <br />
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More familiar to audiences in the titan role of Wolverine of X-Men fame, Jackman sparkled in a part that fit him like Saran Wrap and allowed him to revisit his Broadway song n’ dance roots. Jackman’s portrayal of an outside-the-box loveable hustler was a magnetic performance. In Svengali-like fashion, he bamboozled a reluctant cast of social misfits into taking center stage and breaking the cultural stereotypes of their day – thus re-inventing the way the public saw entertainment.<br />
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With original songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul of La La Land fame, each one resonated with vibrancy and passion. Tucked away in the story were two show-stopping songs - the Golden Globe winning “This is Me” sung with heartfelt intensity by big screen newcomer Keala Settle. This song became the film’s anthem, dispersing a message of personal empowerment that I predict will be heard across multiple musical platforms for years to come. “Never Enough” was another transporting strategically placed piece that was sung by Loren Allred but lip-synched to perfection by Rebecca Ferguson (The White Queen).<br />
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The Greatest Showman grabbed me right out of the gate and took me to joy-filled places with cleverly choreographed dance numbers and music that made me laugh, cry and cheer. It was a splash of dreamy cinematic bliss in a sea of serious films with a story that moved efficiently without any lag time or filler material. I for one, was happy to bask in its splendor, forget all about my troubles and allow the magic to carry me. This film grabbed my senses and didn’t let go for a rollicking 90-minute spin that left me hoping for a few more rides in its superbly embellished “amusement park.” <br />
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History often records Barnum as a sarcastic side-note to entertainment history, but he was the Harry Selfridge of his day – pioneering a showbiz format that has stood the test of time. Barnum’s legendary circus closed in 2017 after 146-years. I remember thinking how sad it was - like the passing of an era. The Greatest Showman may have been cinematic fluff at its finest, but what a fitting tribute to the man who invented the fluff in the first place. <br />
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<u> See my Similar Reviews</u><br />
<a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2019/01/mary-poppins-returns-pg.html">Mary Poppins</a><br />
<a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2015/03/cinderella-pg.html">Cinderella</a><br />
<a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2014/06/wickedly-delicious-twist-on-oldtale-for.html">Maleficent</a><br />
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CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-17239906725888390292017-06-20T10:18:00.000-07:002018-02-06T17:45:07.552-08:007 Reasons WONDER WOMAN is FIERCE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><u>1. Story</u></span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I spent the first 30 minutes of
this film saying OMG. The story, the actors and the action had me from the start. Director Patty Jenkins took the time to craft an interesting origins story that tied neatly to the final scene of it's predecessor Batman Vs. Superman. As it goes; Wonder Woman was raised as Princess Diana of Themyscira - the only daughter
of the Amazon Queen. The audience is taken along on Diana’s journey as she evolves from
an inquisitive child into a formidable warrior. The comic-book inspired backstory allows viewers to see the impetus that propelled her towards her Wonder Woman persona. Through the mentoring and tutelage of her mother and trainer, she emerges as a
strong woman, battle-ready and filled with the conviction that her destiny lies beyond the idyllic island's shores. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><u>2. Gal Gadot (Diana Prince)</u></span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The Israeli-born Gadot showed us
all how a female superhero can <i>bring it</i> for an engaging 2-hours of action story, but with heart. Gadot packed the role with just the right combinations of </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">sweetness</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"> w</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">arrior, naivete, and fierceness. The relatively unknown actor was first unleashed in the last 20-minutes of the 2016 <i>Batman Vs. Superman</i> a</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">s she waged battle with the two iconic heroes (a</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">nd frankly, it was the best segment of the whole story.) That film gave movie-going audiences a tantalizing preview of coming attractions. So finally in 2017, we see Wonder Woman center stage in her full glory - bringing a female superhero to the
forefront in action-packed style.</span></div>
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<b><u>3. Robin Wright (Antiope)</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Robin Wright (House of Cards)
played the Amazon Army super-trainer, who was tasked with Diana as
her protégé. Prime directive: to make her the fiercest warrior in the
Island’s history. Wright embodied the warrior role in Eowyn-like style as she
trained Diana in the super skills she would one day need for a yet unrealized destiny.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /><b>
4. Connie Nielson (Hippolyta)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Hippolyta was Diana’s mother and Warrior
Queen of the Themyscira's all-woman paradise. As queen,
she strives to protect Diana while simultaneously shielding her from the truth
of a dark destiny that she will eventually be called on to embrace. Neilson
plays the role of mother, sage, queen and warrior admirably. She knows the hidden mysteries of Diana's true nature and destiny, and it is her job to ensure that her daughter has the character to sustain her nearly limitless power.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><u>5. The Action</u></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Diana walks boldly toward her
destiny in World War II Europe determined to use her considerable skills to
avert Mankind’s looming destruction. Raised on a hidden island,
surrounded by women – she has a lot to learn. But she catches on quickly and the
“coming out” scene when she explodes in Superhero ferociousness was like a born-again
cinematic moment. The director spared no expense debuting her warrior moves in over-the-top
cinematic style. Forget the rest of the film, I was ready to stand and applaud
at that point. After that, it was ON. Action was heaped upon action as WW took
on the bad guys with a proverbial super-hero spanking. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><b><u>6. The Remaining Cast</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Chris, Pine (Star Trek Beyond) David
Thewlis (Harry Potter), Danny Huston (X-Men Origins Wolverine), Ewen Bremner
(Snow Piercer) rounded out the fun cast of characters. Chris Pine played the pilot
whose crash into the Island’s waters alters the course of Diana’s oblivious and
peaceful life. As expected, Pine was good in the part, but nothing out of the ordinary. He provided the reason for Diana's departure from her home and the love interest. Thewlis, Huston and Bremner also provided story line interest, but all were unable to outshine the film's star. To me, they all seemed like stars orbiting around Wonder Woman's planet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /><b><u>
7. The Impact</u></b></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">There were clearly strong men depicted in this film, but for my money the women stole the story. It was a stand-up-and-cheer women warrior film - the likes of which I have never seen. Truthfully, there aren't many films with strong female leads who are not there merely to compliment the male star. Having said that, I liked the film because Diana never flaunted her abilities to the men around her. She acted when necessary, respected the other players at the table and embodied a superhero sans the ginormous ego. One thing's for sure, Gal Gadot's career has sky-rocked to another level. And, the film's phenomenal success already has studio execs calculating the gold-paved road towards a sequel.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">There is a childhood scene where her mother tells her "Fighting does not make you a hero." Truly, Diana is not a hero because she can fight, she is a hero despite it. She models values that are mingled with compassion and wisdom. For young women everywhere it sends a strong message </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">about standing strongly, being confident and showing compassion to the unfortunate. It also says that a strong female can take her place at the table of life without diminishing the men around her. After all - she has nothing to prove to anyone except herself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /><u>Read Similar Reviews</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2016/01/star-wars-force-awakens-pg-13.html" target="_blank">Star Wars The Force Awakens</a><span id="goog_1610557699"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1610557700"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><a href="http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2013/06/man-of-steel-soars-to-epic-proportions.html" target="_blank">Man of Steel</a></span></span></div>
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CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-35672322895471473042017-05-11T17:28:00.001-07:002017-05-24T11:30:24.645-07:00HOW ARTHUR GOT STUCK IN A STONE (PG-13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijO-AAZPA2J51miooGG2uRPnuywOk97LuVFsGNC0qs7-LQQeDFsIGxGoNIoYgoPBQSnObvItxSL9N-REALD9r6tgMsluYNiDpTgaZVseu5_BamEV_v-kUJYekBnw6Lal6zg4Y0X5u1rcIY/s1600/arthur2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijO-AAZPA2J51miooGG2uRPnuywOk97LuVFsGNC0qs7-LQQeDFsIGxGoNIoYgoPBQSnObvItxSL9N-REALD9r6tgMsluYNiDpTgaZVseu5_BamEV_v-kUJYekBnw6Lal6zg4Y0X5u1rcIY/s320/arthur2.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<h3 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin: 0in;">
King Arthur Never Quite Pulls the Sword</h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Have you ever set
out to enjoy a memorable treat but it turned out differently than you expected?
That was what I felt like after seeing Arthur. I wanted to like the film -
honestly. It had all the elements of a major motion picture; an underdog
protagonist, an evil villain, a mysterious magician, special effects and a
skilled director. It should have been a winning combination, but the film got stuck
in its own proverbial stone. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<u style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">A Re-imagined Legend</u><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In a nutshell,
Arthur, born the son of a great king, was robbed of his birthright and raised
in a brothel. He had no idea of his birthright, but through a chain of events he was confronted with pulling the sword from the stone, and succeeded where all others failed. What followed was a revolutionary plot to overthrow the tyrant king who had stolen the crown, and to take his rightful place.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><u>Where was the Majesty?</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Having been a longtime
fan of Arthur and the round table folklore, I was ready for a majestic reboot
of the timeworn tale. Instead, Director Guy Richie took me on a stylistic
journey that was a part myth and part re-imagined plot under the guise of an
origins story. This ideology worked well for “Sherlock Holmes,” but it didn’t
quite pan out in this story.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLaq5zfqaguwat-9Hkjj2sIgTi31fxlxAmVkMnT4uXRsQdfSHDuzsG-4zgmwTvldXZuLw0o5ljUMQt8q2uqzH7LD0zwDq_afo5vEFM5Vs5OTFWfYwbMnrSVKeleIGu4jaG1q5ihuEvIerw/s1600/law.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLaq5zfqaguwat-9Hkjj2sIgTi31fxlxAmVkMnT4uXRsQdfSHDuzsG-4zgmwTvldXZuLw0o5ljUMQt8q2uqzH7LD0zwDq_afo5vEFM5Vs5OTFWfYwbMnrSVKeleIGu4jaG1q5ihuEvIerw/s320/law.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><u>Lofty Aspirations Fell Short</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">First off, the
cast led by Charlie Hunnan, felt more like a gathering of rowdy frat boys than
a medieval story. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Hunnan in “Pacific Rim,” but
this film, (though eagerly carried on his handsome shoulders), lacked the overall
grandeur and greatness it seemed to aspire to. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><u>Arthur's Shallow Portrait</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Though Hunnan is Brit-born and bred, I
still had difficulty embracing him as Arthur. Moreover, I kept waiting for
a “Sons of Anarchy” motorcycle to pull up somewhere because I was unable to forget who he was in the part. I would have liked to see less corny jokes and more development of Arthur's character. His casual transition from street boy, to warrior, to king </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">lacked gravity, and could have been better explored.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><u>Over-stylized Cinematography</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The rest of the
cast consisted of fellow Brit actor, Jude Law as the evil King Vortigen, Astrid
Berges-Frisbey as the Mage, and Djimon Hounsou as Bedevere. Each was adequate
in their role, but I couldn’t decide if the film suffered due to hashed editing, over ambitious directing or an implausible plot. To top it all, Ritchie’s directing threw me
off the medieval feel with rock rhythms, over-stylized cinematography and
special effects, none of which could save the picture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85boFY6480PxvXLq20tQ05AjPA6nXHyUZeXM72oYaKkH6i8dfxbUY4m5U2jFVrW9nmVpg0o80UOdrnEgt0bTfnKnVTbvtVNm83-KasQPr9bZEIj17XWNSMeOPle12G3IBrA9bBVV3uc-i/s1600/actors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85boFY6480PxvXLq20tQ05AjPA6nXHyUZeXM72oYaKkH6i8dfxbUY4m5U2jFVrW9nmVpg0o80UOdrnEgt0bTfnKnVTbvtVNm83-KasQPr9bZEIj17XWNSMeOPle12G3IBrA9bBVV3uc-i/s400/actors.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>No Sense of Triumph</u></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Above all, when you lose interest in whether the main character
lives or dies – it’s over. By about mid-way through the film it became an
endurance test to the end. And that...is never the way to leave a movie theater.
It was a nice try, but, I give Arthur, “Legend of the Sword” a 5 out of 10, for
making the attempt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>For more films like this see my reviews on</b>:</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Ben Hur</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Bridge of Spies</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The Butler</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The Magnificent 7</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Hacksaw Ridge</span></div>
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CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-61078632922011585492017-04-08T08:53:00.001-07:002017-04-09T09:40:45.846-07:00HACKSAW RIDGE (R)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFuchpWWVs67ij84Zm1gCJcIeewXemY7uGN5gLbB-hlj72Ihon3M0pY7sY9IAZzUopDQjnlFT3nlvm3wyvwDJVJ9TGtpdVCDKIa2gvbd7qSbEVj0HPJISDUINSMP8_mLmylV4AFOcIMt-/s1600/Hacksaw_Ridge_poster.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFuchpWWVs67ij84Zm1gCJcIeewXemY7uGN5gLbB-hlj72Ihon3M0pY7sY9IAZzUopDQjnlFT3nlvm3wyvwDJVJ9TGtpdVCDKIa2gvbd7qSbEVj0HPJISDUINSMP8_mLmylV4AFOcIMt-/s400/Hacksaw_Ridge_poster.png" width="258" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Private Desmond Doss entered
the bloodiest battle of the Pacific during World War II with nothing to protect
himself save for his Bible and a profound faith in God.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Hacksaw Ridge tells us that incredible true
story - one of a man who probably never should have been in the military. Doss
was the first Congressional Medal of Honor recipient in history to have never
fired a shot, and his story is nothing short of miraculous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Doss was a pacifist - a
conscientious objector, a devout Seventh-Day Adventist, who enlisted as a medic
to serve his country, but refused to bear arms. His introductory days in the army
were hellish, as the contempt of his superiors and peers mounted against him. Yet,
despite their disdain, this gentle and misunderstood soldier went on to earn
the respect and adoration of his peers without ever firing a shot. During the
worst battle of the Pacific – the Battle of Okinawa, he risked his life in
heavy gunfire to save 75 men.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The film stars Andrew Garfield (Doss), Sam Worthington (Captain
Glover), Vince Vaughn (Sergeant Howell) and Teresa Palmer (Dorothy
Schutte). Director, Mel Gibson gave us a true, gritty and violent account of
the 1945 battle fought on the hellish Maeda Escarpment, nicknamed “Hacksaw
Ridge” due to the treacherously steep 400-foot cliff.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The 307th and 77th Infantry Division was deployed to
the site to wage a seemingly impossible battle in the face of Japanese machine
gun nests, booby traps and a network of hidden enemy-occupied caves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This was more than a
tactile thrown-to-screen war story. Gibson spent time delving into the events of Desmond’s
history which produced his immovable moral code, allowing the audience to empathize
with him. Garfield played the role with a boyish charm that captured the self-effacing
and soft-spoken real-life Doss, swimming upstream against a tide of opposition.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As the the scenes depicting Doss’ heroic acts unfolded; admittedly,
it would have been impossible to believe, had it not been a documented and
historical account. How was it even possible for a small-framed man to rescue
75-plus men from a steep cliff, under heavy fire, without help and during the
night? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The film earned a 10-minute standing ovation when it premiered at
the Venice Film Festival in 2016. Hacksaw Ridge earned Best Actor, Best Picture
and Best Director Oscar nominations in 2017, restoring Gibson’s tarnished reputation
among his Hollywood peers. It also established Garfield (more famously known
for Spider Man) as a serious actor and award contender to watch in future years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes, Hacksaw Ridge was a story of violence and war time horror.
Yet there were deep and stirring messages about honor, humility and the cost of
standing by personal convictions. We live in a cultural era where honor is
cheap, humility non-existent and personal convictions are lost in a sea of mass-produced political correctness. Sometimes we need films like Hacksaw Ridge to remind us
that heroism takes unexpected forms, strength can be in
gentle and face-value judgments are often false. </span></div>
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<span class="_dgc" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span></span>CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-35281294615830587492017-03-15T09:45:00.001-07:002017-03-31T13:00:45.063-07:00THE SHACK (PG-13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOA7jHze1lL2x5_v-e0DyS4HhEguufs7z0wI-nCcNjH9KdC3H4iVgzcvG9aaQ8vTlMVDO5tf6j3k1Q030H-62VC8k8Rowx130ZMNRgO5BNdmVqZ8o6GxQvzohbt6boc0koSqpmA7I6Y3RK/s1600/shack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOA7jHze1lL2x5_v-e0DyS4HhEguufs7z0wI-nCcNjH9KdC3H4iVgzcvG9aaQ8vTlMVDO5tf6j3k1Q030H-62VC8k8Rowx130ZMNRgO5BNdmVqZ8o6GxQvzohbt6boc0koSqpmA7I6Y3RK/s640/shack.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you are looking for a theological discussion about the accuracy of "The Shack" you won't find it here. If you are looking for a narrative on its depiction of the Trinity - wrong again. However, if you are looking for a cinematic "pause" from Hollywood's usual onslaught of violence, sex, and language, with a more than whimsical visit to the land of inspiration, then read on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Octavia Spencer, Sam Worthington, Tim McGraw and Radna Mitchell front the story about a deeply hurting man Mackenzie Phillips (Worthington), who has never recovered from the brutal abduction and murder of his youngest daughter a few years earlier. For all essential purposes, he is a dead man walking. Mack is a husband and father of two who cannot reconcile the horrors of his life with a loving God; he </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">exists because he must. Then, one day a mysterious note arrives, seemingly sent by God.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After overcoming his initial misgivings about the authorship, Mack sets off on a trip to the Shack - the domicile of his greatest nightmare. Upon arriving there, what ensues is a series of inexplicable encounters which forever alter him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At first the film, like the book, moves slowly as it develops the back story of the Phillips' family's life leading up to the present. However, once Mack arrives at the Shack, the story takes an upward turn as he is taken on a fantastical journey by three characters called Elusia (Papa/God), Sumire (the Holy Spirit) and Jesus. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Together, they lead his tortured soul through a journey of revelation and healing where he must confront his own demons in order to be free.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The film was beautifully done in terms of production values, music and concept. Octavia Spencer delivered an empathetic performance as Papa and Sam Worthington gave us a tormented father unable to outrun his pain. Fledgling English Director Stuart Hazeldine managed to pull off a courageously decent adaptation that did not leave me cold. And, it does take courage to convert this type of book which is part narrative, part vision and part apologetic into something plausible for movie going audiences.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I commend Hazeldine for being willing to do the film. While "The Shack" did not capture some of the deep-dive conversations of the book, or several key scenes, it did provide a hearty dose of inspiration. So often a multiplicity of religious experience can relegate an enormous and all-powerful God to the confines of our own thinking, interpretations and deductions. Sometimes, we superimpose our entrenched belief systems onto a Divine Being whose limitations are non-existent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Am I saying that the God-head is middle-aged black woman, an Asian lady and a handsome Middle-Eastern Carpenter? No. However, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The Shack's" messages about God revealed an intense love for humanity, so much so, that He was willing to go to any length to recapture a wounded soul. The film's themes shouted the grace of the One who saw past a hurting woman at a well, and who relinquished His right to cast the first stone in a religious showdown. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a rule, I try to stay away from the larger arguments that could be made for most of the films I review. Rather, I base my evaluations on a quality story, characters I care about, entertainment value, and whether I was impacted upon exit from the theater. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Shack managed to accomplish all these categories. For me, it painted a divine picture resembling the bridal paradigm of a divine love stronger than death. And, as I left the theater and dried my bloodshot eyes - it was enough for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interested in other faith-based films?</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enjoy my other reviews on:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ben Hur</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">War Room</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Noah</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Son of God</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-43725500795023371282017-03-02T16:33:00.000-08:002017-03-16T05:52:09.423-07:00HIDDEN FIGURES (PG)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hidden Figures Surfaces Strong</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Hidden Figures" revolves around the extraordinary black women who were integral to NASA putting a man in space during the 1960's. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cast your mind back to an era when the emerging space program was newly funded by the government and running "experimental" missions designed to see if earth orbit was a possibility. Concurrent with that was the dark days of the Cold War between the U.S. and the former U.S.S.R, who were competing for first place in space and galactic supremacy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was the days before desktop computing, cell phones or most of the tech so readily available today. So, a</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s NASA advanced towards their space goals, skilled men and women were hired by the thousands under federal orders to get a man in space first. Among the program's many employees was a black, all female department of skilled mathematicians who labored behind the scenes doing the grunt work. When the head of NASA sought for someone to verify his lead department's calculations, Katherine Johnson was appointed for the task. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Katherine the "human computer," was reassigned to the top secret Flight Research Division at Langley. She was an immediate direct threat to the entrenched mentality of segregation and emasculation of blacks still prevalent in much of the South. But, b</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">efore long, Katherine proved herself to be a superior mathematician and a major contributor, meeting each challenge with out-of-the-box thinking. Tariji P. Henson gave a subtle, yet determined portrayal of a brilliant woman handling peer suppression and injustice with a quiet dignity and spirit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Henson was joined by Octavia Spencer (</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Help), </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">as the "supervisor" of the black women's division, leading the charge as a steady force of support for her gals and always on the look-out for their best interests. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Recording Artist Janelle Monae turned in a good performance as the fe</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">isty, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ambitious</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">third member of the trio with a propensity for speaking her mind. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The three woman connected around their unique positions at NASA, the difficulties of being more brilliant than their husbands and enduring the adversities of living in the South. Henson, Spencer and Monae were a comfortable fit as the fearsome threesome rolling up their sleeves and taking on challenges with fortitude and foresight. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kevin Costner (Draft Day) played Al Harrison, the head of NASA, and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kirsten Dunst, (Spiderman) rounded out the cast as the patronizing supervisor. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is a saying that goes, "If opportunity does not knock, build a door." </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These women personified that sentiment by not allowing any obstacles to deter them. They forged their own paths through hard work and a vision for a better tomorrow. Each woman succeeded in her area by becoming </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the first black female engineer, first black female supervisor and the first woman admitted into the all male research program.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The film was based on a book of the same title by Margot Lee Shetterly who's father worked at NASA and would often reminisce to her as a child about the "human computers" who worked behind the scenes. Over time Margot recognized the immensity of their accomplishments and impact on the space program, and she knew their stories had to be told. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is 55 years since the days of the story's crescendo. Sometimes, I look at race relations in our nation, that remains a dichotomy of mistrust and unrest, and feel as though our progress has been too small. But then I see a film like Hidden Figures featuring true-to-life people who became instruments of social change simply by aspiring to excellence in their fields and a refusal to allow prejudices to dictate their destinies. "Hidden Figures" reminds me that through hard work, perseverance and believing in our dreams, we can all aspire to change the world one job, one attitude and one person at a time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Check out my review about the Shack</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">http://eyeonhollywood.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-shack-pg-13.html</span></div>
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<br />CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587733187583180953.post-34158198524004210042017-01-16T15:55:00.002-08:002019-11-27T08:46:07.565-08:00THE CROWN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_5tnNGJjVrRu0qXsIPlLFe-YWaDtD6ByBR5RWbmBs6dRJ5uqPCz0LuBI05pa2uT-YY5jEasqyUVQg4WRUAxb8as9V9k1RgMpiF-O_icrM0_2QiMCaARdrZq4jxH9Fj0Xq5hZCJYGXPdR/s1600/MV5BNjU2NzA5MzgyM15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNDAwOTUxMDI%2540._V1_UX182_CR0%252C0%252C182%252C268_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_5tnNGJjVrRu0qXsIPlLFe-YWaDtD6ByBR5RWbmBs6dRJ5uqPCz0LuBI05pa2uT-YY5jEasqyUVQg4WRUAxb8as9V9k1RgMpiF-O_icrM0_2QiMCaARdrZq4jxH9Fj0Xq5hZCJYGXPdR/s320/MV5BNjU2NzA5MzgyM15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNDAwOTUxMDI%2540._V1_UX182_CR0%252C0%252C182%252C268_AL_.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A Crowning Achievement!</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I was more than gratified to watch the Crown pick up Best Drama Series, Best Actress and Supporting Actor at the recent Golden Globe Awards. It was a fitting tribute to this binge-worthy program - the most expensive Netflix original production at over $100M. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Crown is the truth-based backstory of the Queen Elizabeth II's early years. It is a compelling and revelatory look into her life, family and position. The story opens during the final years of her father, King George VI's reign as he battled lung cancer. His greatest concern was his daughter's readiness to take her place upon the English throne. When he succumbed to the disease in 1952, the 25-year-old Elizabeth ascended the throne with the burden of an extensive British Empire extending across a third of the Globe on her young shoulders. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">British actor Clare Foy (Wolf Hall) resonated as a young monarch grappling with her new role, as she coped with sibling rivalry, and the management of a restless husband. She demonstrates a fierce determination to fulfill all her obligations as befits her title. Foy's carefully balanced portrayal reveals the humanity of Elizabeth II and moves her from a 1-dimensional caricature into a 3-dimensional person, whose overarching goal in life was to conceal her true feelings beneath stoic pleasantries. There is a brilliantly delivered line in the series by one of the other actors saying, "<i>The queen must never be seen to be taking sides,</i>" that captures her position perfectly. All the while, you recognize how hard she fights to retain some elements of her personal identify as it is slowly swallowed up by the crown. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Matt Smith (Doctor Who), as Prince Phillip, was probably the most surprising revelation as husband to the queen - always seen, but never heard. Their marriage began as a love-match, itself a miraculous occurrence in royal circles. For the first 6-years they seemed happy and were evenly matched in intellect and temperament. Then after she became queen it all changed. Phillip was relegated to a supporting role publicly - a bitter pill that could not help but overflow into their personal lives. Smith's rendering of the part allowed us a glimpse of the enormous frustrations of his very public emasculation.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzaSnCGN7TD-noCBwmx_CjqIPVOzxPvWKk11NNjdWwiRHWsa26ylr06dn1wwU9okjPs2ehSjqQ9kSTLV9dEXQ2llfZBCfsvyvobV74ZFoGjAL1XqDpQ42UXXjc0-pPmKCNtyVjxNUnP1m/s1600/TheCrown_110_0868r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzaSnCGN7TD-noCBwmx_CjqIPVOzxPvWKk11NNjdWwiRHWsa26ylr06dn1wwU9okjPs2ehSjqQ9kSTLV9dEXQ2llfZBCfsvyvobV74ZFoGjAL1XqDpQ42UXXjc0-pPmKCNtyVjxNUnP1m/s320/TheCrown_110_0868r.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">John Lithgow as Winston Churchill</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Veteran great, John Lithgow snagged a Best Supporting Actor award for his part as the intractable Winston Churchill during his declining years as Prime Minister. Lithgow's decrepit elderly gentleman portrayal as an affectionate friend and guide to the young queen, was in stark contrast to his public persona but equally well-played. Lithgow carried the part off in a grandiose style that fairly leaped off the screen, filled with delicate nuances, and sub-text meanings. The scenes with Foy and Lithgow together are a masterpiece of well-crafted dialogue that sizzles with presence.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a Brit and longtime fan of the English royal family, I have followed them for years in books, magazines, documentaries and films. But there has always been one story that has resonated. It is that of Queen Elizabeth's younger sister Princess Margaret, played by Vanessa Kirby (Jupiter Ascending). As h</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">istory records, she was forbidden to marry the man she loved because he was a divorcee. Sound familiar? It echoes back to her uncle King Edward VIII, whose insistence on marrying the divorced Wallis Simpson nearly destroyed the monarchy. Kirby played the hapless second daughter who lived in her sister's shadow, and after finally finding love, she was denied the marriage. The scandalous story of its day dominated at least 3 episodes of the 10-part series and provided a delicious subplot to the main themes.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNgqr5BtAamTgOBwMcNKbErqobyksZwy-pYJwbIWYZ1pMKQaQiKp4ymN1usBLkCJ72dDp-NC3F4kG4iVEEmVSE9_KwdqJ1mJRXHsmxGaPGlFtX_j1fSS-2L0Ne_SWkgHbIw6RlnHASxId/s1600/1528d050ea6f91f4c86fe88f5d35f92e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNgqr5BtAamTgOBwMcNKbErqobyksZwy-pYJwbIWYZ1pMKQaQiKp4ymN1usBLkCJ72dDp-NC3F4kG4iVEEmVSE9_KwdqJ1mJRXHsmxGaPGlFtX_j1fSS-2L0Ne_SWkgHbIw6RlnHASxId/s320/1528d050ea6f91f4c86fe88f5d35f92e.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The remaining cast is optimally played by Victoria Hamilton (the Queen Mom), Alex Jennings (the Duke of Windsor), Jeremy Northam (Anthony Eden), Jared Harris, the queen's father, and Ben Miles (Peter Townsend). </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Each actor breathed life and depth into their character's lives, providing us with a coercive production that simultaneously fascinated as we were pulled along by its magnetism. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Crown earned its Golden Globe Best Drama category. But not for its glamour, drama, costumes, sets or acting. But, because it gifted us with a revealing window into the life of the world's most famous woman - whose lifelong role is finally being revealed from the private human side. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All said, Queen Elizabeth II has fooled us all. For 67-years we have believed her life was one of calm waters and smooth sailing, but the Crown pulled back the veil showing us that this has never been the case. Even more reason to put on the cap of admiration for a Queen who has not only reigned the longest of any British monarch, but has made it all look so easy.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>CM Duharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08134288535751821041noreply@blogger.com0