FlaJosephus's stats
- Review count12
- Helpfulness votes0
- First reviewNovember 8, 2009
- Last reviewJanuary 22, 2012
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.1
Overall rating
5
/
5
EXTREMELY Well Acted & INCREDIBLY Good
PostedJanuary 22, 2012
Do not expect to see much of either Tom Hanks or Sandra Bullock in this superb film. They are the names that probably hooked the "angels" to invest in the project and will probably also hook the average movie goer into shelling out for a ticket.
Thirteen year-old Thomas Horn is the true star of this thoughtfull "tear jerker" that evades the pitfalls of so many handkerchief grabbers and falls squarely in the list of truly exceptional films of recent times. I hope Horn is not a one film wonder and look forward to seeing him grow as a film actor over the years to come.
Max von Sydow in his role of the mute-by-choice "renter" deserves nominations if not major awards for his masterfull portrayal. LOUD & CLOSE follows what appears to be the norm for so many recent films of note -- an incredible ensemble cast. John Goodman, who appears on screen just a little less than the nominal star Tom Hanks, shows he is truly an actor and not just a personality.
See this movie!
[I thought I had missed something when I read the Movietickets.com list of major stars appearing in "Extremely LOUD & Incredibly CLOSE" and saw James Gandolfini's name. IMDB does not list Gandolfini as either a credited or uncredited member of the cast. What gives?]
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Definitely Showcases Streep
PostedJanuary 14, 2012
The Iron Lady follows a recent trend in biopix with a stellar performance by its star backed up by a much more than merely adequate supporting cast in a somewhat disjointed movie than can only be followed well by a viewer steeped in the life and accomplishments of the protagonist who is able follow its flashbacks and place them in proper perspective.
I almost thought the screenwriters, director & producers got a copy of J. Edgar's scenario and substituted Maggie Thatcher wherever the former had Hoover.
Regardless of its imperfections, The Iron Lady showcases perhaps the greatest female actor of our time, Meryl Streep, in a role that will garner her numerous award nominations and probably more than one win. The Iron Lady is definitely a "must see" movie if only to relish another unforgettable performance by Meryl Streep.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Good Effects; Poor Holmes
PostedJanuary 8, 2012
This was a fast paced action film with great special effects in 2-D that are no doubt absolutely spectacular when seen in 3-D; however, it left me cold when it comes to the over 100 year old mystique of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's master detective Sherlock Holmes.
Robert Downey, Jr., was a great Holmes if Holmes is only the creation of Guy Richie and not Doyle's masterful detective of his own countless stories and novels and numerous portrayals on stage, motion pictures, and video -- primarily BBC via PBS -- as conceived by others.
Jude Law is an interesting Dr. Watson, to say the least, and held up well to other portrayers of Holmes' "side kick."
The lesser players were all good. My negative comments aside, this is a good action movie if one is not expecting a true-to-character vision of Sherlock Holmes.
Leave your preconceptions about Sherlock Holmes at home and enjoy two hours of escapist adventure with totally implausible action -- a two hour action comic book?
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Indominable Spirit and the Road to G(l)ory
PostedJanuary 1, 2012
I understand the ratings and comments of the reviewers who expected a totally "feel good" movie about animals as well as those who expected Steven Spielbeg to be the sine qua non of directors.
I went to the theater expecting a World War I mini-epic that did not glorify that War to End All wars, that had a somewhat anti-war but not necessarily pacifist slant, and was not disappointed. Perhaps I would have been disappointed if I had been familiar with the novel and later stage play upon which War House is based however loosely.
War Horse shows the futility of that war whose calvary charges were no match against modern machine guns, War is not a story book adventure of men in bright uniforms and ladies in silk and lace with parasols; it is gore, terror, and uncertainty. War House emphasized this for both soldier and civilian alike.
With the exception of Emily Watson, the names of the cast members were completely unknown to me. I compliment Spielberg for putting together a terrific ensemble cast.
Will I count War Horse among that small handfull of really great movies I have seen over a lifetime of movie going? I seriously doubt it. But, I will recommend War House as a motion picture worth seeing and one that should be judged against other World War I movies from Rex Ingram's Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, through King Vidor's The Big Parade, Lewis Milestone's All Quiet on the Western Front, and so on down to the more recent past.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
It Could Have Been
PostedDecember 26, 2011
My Week with Marilyn tells a tale that could have been but could also be the I wish it had been memories of an aging man wanting to bask in the all too short glory that was Marilyn Monroe. The question of whether the week with Marilyn actually happened aside, this is a very good movie.
The ensemble cast boasts some of the current great names of stage and cinema, They are a true ensemble -- is their professionalism or the director's finesse?
Michelle Williams definitely holds up against such giants as Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench; she will grow in importance as a major star and terrific actress.
This is definitely a "go to see" if not a "must see" movie!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Definitely a Contender for Oscar Nominations
PostedNovember 25, 2011
J. Edgar is by no means the best movie ever made, but it was one of the more riveting films I have seen recently. Was it my fascination with U S history and the manufactured hysteria and devious machinations that enabled J.Edgar Hoover to rise to such power over some 48 years, or was it my realization that history seems to be repeating itself and my hope that a long-lasting successor to Hoover does not emerge in our time?
Whatever, Eastwood's direction, coupled with Dustin Lance Black's screen play, and a superb cast headed by Leonardo DiCaprio and including Judi Dench, Ron Howard, Naomi Watts, and others, resulted in a movie that held my attention from its opening scene to its closing credits.
I can well imagine that the shifting back and forth over the years from 1919 to 1973 without any apparent rhyme or reason may have confused viewers not familiar with "current events" as my onetime college history professor called everything that happened after 1914.
Eastwood, Black, and DiCaprio will probably garner Oscar nominations along with several technical nominations. I do not think Naomi Watts will be a contender unless the field is very large or extremely weak, but Judi Dench definitely could be a contender for best supporter actress.
J. Edgar is one of the better films I have seen this season. It may not become a legend or a masterpiece of the cinema; nevertheless, I do recommend it to anyone interested in either good cinema or in finding out more about J. Edgar Hoover and the erea that enabled him to rise to such power.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Great Escapist Movie After Suspending Disbelief
PostedOctober 24, 2011
A suspension of disbelief is needed to thoroughly enjoy this latest cinematic version of Dumas' The Three Musketeers -- that being accomplished, it was a great 110 minutes of special effects, derring do that never was or could have been, loosely based upon a classic novel but also a mainstay of cinema as evidenced by some 15 different film versions from Douglas Fairbanks' 1921 silent version to this 2011 version with sidetrips to Mickey, Donald & Goofy as well as Barbie! The special effects were great even in 2-D; so, I can only imagine how breathtaking they would be in 3-D. The air ship was definitely an anachronism & I was reminded of the same in TV's The Wild Wild West. Milo Jovovich and Orlando Bloom were the only cast names I recognized. Definitely not educational or uplifting but still a movie worth seeing.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
The Ides of March Has Ideal Cast But. . .
PostedOctober 10, 2011
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings," could be why The Ides of March just misses being that five-star movie that I wanted to see. The ensemble cast is non-pareil, and the cinematography excellent.
I did not expect an action-packed thriller with action so fast I was blown away; therefore, I was not disappointed by this thinking-man's movie. Die Hard and Rambo or countless others it was not.
George Clooney's work gets better and better, and I eagerly await his magnum opus that requires another rating star. May he continue to be a rising star in all phases of motion picture making.
The Ides of March is one of those rare movies that will have me discovering new nuances the more I think about what I saw on the silver screen.
If you expect to have your mind tweaked a la Syriana or Good Night and Good Luck, this is a movie to see. If you expect fast action with car chases; then, by all means, avoid The Ides of March.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
A True Classic!
PostedJanuary 2, 2011
The King's Speech should become a movie that stands the test of time and becomes a classic because of superb acting -- Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush would both be excellent choices for a best actor Oscar -- in a great production.
I wondered about the film's R rating until I saw it. It does contain some "raw" language that some may find offensive; however, the "offensive" words are by no means used in a salacious manner. If the R rating draws some to see The King's Speech who would not have otherwise, so much the better.
This movie has earned its niche in my all time favorites.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
2
/
5
NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT
PostedSeptember 6, 2010
Rated some smirks but no guffaws for its humor. Not a complete waste of time since it gave me an avuncular hour and a half with my great niece -- she did giggle several times but never let out any real laughs,. It followed what seems to be a standard format of cinematic slapstick humor a la Three Stooges aimed at the pre-middle school crowd coupled with double entendres to amuse the adult(s) accompanying the tykes.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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