January 7, 2015

Men, Women & Children
In this powerful movie, director Jason Reitman looks at how the internet and social-media has affected the lives of a wide group of typical middle-class American families. Reitman explores everything from innocuous chatting and tweeting, to online dating, and, also, which is only a click away, hard-core pornography. The movie raises some very provocative issues, about how modern lives today are lived more in a virtual cyber-space then in everyday reality. The movie is very visually interesting, as it depicts the instantaneous presentation of digital data. Finally, it has a surprisingly good performance from Adam Sandler, free of his usually annoying mannerisms.

Nightcrawler
Director Dan Gilroy also looks at social-media in this very startling movie, although, in a somewhat different form. The movie concerns an ambitious man who is a freelance paparazzi. He works the nightshift gathering video footage of car-crashes and petty-crimes. The more sensational the better, as the material is then sold to a TV station for broadcast in the morning news. The movie also cleverly shows how broadcast news can be manipulated to maintain audience attention and ratings. This is a very thought provoking movie, with a performance from Jake Gyllenhaal which is just extraordinary.

Fury
Towards the end of WW11, a group of American armored tanks are slowly making their way across Germany, destroying everything in their path. Their goal is to get to Berlin and put an end to Hitler’s madness. In one particular tank, the soldiers are tired and fed-up with the war. Nerves are definitely at breaking point. However, their hardened sergeant is determined to see his boys safely through their mission. Writer and director David Ayer presents an incredible reconstructed vision of war torn Germany, but, the most remarkable thing about the movie is his depiction of his characters. These American soldiers are not the noble heroes which Hollywood movies of the fifties would let us believe. These men are nothing more than savage brutes.

The Maze Runner
You have to take this movie at face value. Don’t expect any explanation of what it’s all about until the very end. Still, if you are prepared to go with the flow, you should find this adventure movie kinda interesting. A group of youths are imprisoned in a large walled compound, and, the only way out is through a maze infested with enormous mechanical scorpion-like monsters.

The Equalizer*
Denzel Washington plays a retired CIA agent with nothing to do. With lots of time on his hands, he becomes a vigilante, righting wrongs where he finds them. One of his pet projects becomes a gang of ruthless Russian mobsters. Antoine Fuqua creates a well-crafted film, but, we have seen this type of movie many times before. Denzel being Denzel gives a good performance.

Gone Girl*
When a man’s wife goes mysteriously missing, the media is quick to label him a wife-killer, even though they have no proof of this. As it turns out, the couple like to play sexual mind games with each other, and, this is another one of their bizarre antics, played out in public. At 2 hours and 30 minutes, this movie becomes more and more convoluted and more and more boring.

Clouds of Sils Maria
A famous actress is rehearsing a play about a lesbian relationship between a business woman and her personal assistant. Shortly, she is to become aware of a similar situation in her own private life, with her own personal assistant.

Mr. Turner
English director Mike Leigh makes an historical costume-drama which is utterly breathtaking to look at. Unfortunately, we actually learn very little about the life and inspirations of 19th century seascape artist J.M.W. Turner.

Before I Go To Sleep*
Every day when a woman wakes up her memory is erased, and, she has to start each day anew. To help her remember she starts a video-diary, then, over time, she suspects that her husband is withholding something from her.
Let’s Kill Ward’s Wife
A fun comedy about a married man’s friends who decide to kill his nagging wife. Once that deed is done with, they have problems disposing the body.

Dying of the Light
Another CIA agent is suffering from a degenerative brain disease, and, he wants to tidy up an old case-file before he is forced into an early retirement.

Murder of a Cat
A man’s cat is killed, and, he has to find the murderer himself as the police aren’t interested. His investigation eventually leads to some very odd stuff.

Camp X-Ray
An inexperienced female guard in an undisclosed American military prison starts an affair with a terrorist prisoner, who takes advantage of her naivety.

The Trip to Italy
In this sequel, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon eat their way around Italy, while going on and on about English theatrical gossip which means nothing.

The Good Lie
Refugees from the Sudan have a very hard time adapting to life in America.

The Theory of Everything
Stephen Hawking’s life story. No surprises, as we know where that’s going.

All Relative
Not knowing it, a man has affairs with a girl and her mother simultaneously.

Comet
A couple fall madly in love while watching a meteor shower in a cemetery.

Horrible Bosses 2
The less said about this sequel the better. The so-called comedy is appalling.

Deadly Lessons
A therapist uses hypnosis on his patients. This is the worst movie ever made.

* Also available on Blu Ray.
# Also available in 3D.

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