The Intern is sweet, but safe

Movie:    The Intern

Rating:  PG-13, 2 hours 1 minute

Grade:   B

In a Nutshell:   Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway are some of my faves .  Other faces you’ll enjoy seeing are the beautiful Rene Russo, Adam DeVine, and Andrew Rannells. 

While the premise of this comedy is very sweet with great comic potential, the writing doesn’t reach very far. It’s pleasant, but bland; sweet, but forgettable.  Director Nancy Meyers charms, yet plays it safe.

Uplifting Theme:

·         Everyone wants to feel wanted, needed, and relevant.

·         “You’re never wrong to do the right thing.” – Mark Twain

·         Men, always carry a handkerchief.   You’ll look classy and be a hero to someone someday.

Things I liked:

·         I loved Ben Whitaker’s (Robert De Niro) video application and the fact that he admitted that he had to call his 6 year old grandson to find out what a USB port was.  Ha ha

·         I liked the way Jules’ (Anne Hathaway) office worked.  For example, the receptionist was really personable and friendly.  I like the idea of ringing a bell and offering applause whenever someone in the office does something well.

·         Anne Hathway has such a beautiful smile.

·         Rene Russo is aging so beautifully.  I take that back….she’s not aging at all.

·         I loved how Ben saw a problem and fixed it without fanfare (when he cleans up the giant mess on the company junk desk).  Years ago I worked for a Congressman in Washington DC, hoping to make big contributions in American politics. One day, I cleaned the office kitchenette, because, frankly, it was disgusting and no one else was doing it.  While I had wanted to save the world, the thing that everyone praised me the most for was being the one who actually took the time to clean the messy kitchen area.  Ha ha   If you want to stand out, do something that others aren’t willing to do.

·         Overall, it’s a clean date movie, which is refreshing in the wake of trashy movies like Trainwreck 
-    If you enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada , Anne Hathaway's character in this movie will feel familiar, as if Andy grew up and started her own fashion business.

Things I didn’t like:

·         It’s pretty predictable.  No big plot twists or surprises.

·         Robert De Niro’s character is a little one-dimensional, with a goofy grin on his face most of the time.
-    A few amusing scenarios, but nothing laugh-out-loud funny.

·         The movie preaches about having it all.  Can you really have it all?  Years ago I attended the Governor’sConference for Women in California (fantastic event) and that very question was asked of several high-powered women on a panel.  They all chimed in about how you CAN, until finally, Meg Whitman (CEO of Ebay) honestly said it wasn’t true.  She explained that you can’t have it all….at the same time.  For example, one day you can be the best business woman in the world, but then the house work is going to slide or else you’re too exhausted at the end of the day to carry on a meaningful conversation with your spouse.  Another day you can be Super Mom, but then you won’t have time to exercise or pay your bills.  Ultimately, there are only so many hours in a day and something usually has to give.  I appreciated the honesty of that answer and it has always helped me to set more realistic expectations about my day.

Funny lines:  

·         “What did you major in?  Do you remember?”  - ATF Interviewer #1 (Wallis Currie-Wood)

·         “Grey is the new green.” – Jason (funny man Adam DeVine from Pitch Perfect )

Things to look for:

·         In the beginning of the movie when Jules rides her bicycle through the office, they had to have her ride extra slowly so the two girls could get all of their lines out during the scene.

·         Ben’s closet is pretty awesome.

·         Here is a question for you:  If you knew someone was having an affair, would you tell the spouse?  Is it your place to?  Would it help them or hurt them?

Tips for Parents:

·         Jason hands Ben a newspaper to cover up his private parts when he’s getting a massage.

·         Two F-bombs, but they’re both mouthed and so you can’t hear it.  Someone flips the bird.

·         Jules and Ben watch the movie An American in Paris , which your kids probably haven’t seen.  It’s a classic you should introduce to them!  (On second thought, was it a clip from Singin' in the Rain ?)  
·         Pre-marital relations.

Another cute intern movie featuring "older" interns is The Internship .

Interstellar is out of this world

Movie Title:   Interstellar

PG-13, 2 hours 49 minutes

Grade:  A

In a Nutshell:   This movie will blow your mind.  Either that or put you to sleep.  Viewers seem to be split in their opinion on this one.  The movie is definitely long, but you’ll feel like you got your money’s worth.

Writer-director Chris Nolan has trained us to expect epic movies under his watch and this one is no exception.  Like his enigmatic Inception , you’ll have to watch it a couple of times to completely understand it. This nearly 3 hour drama is so long that you almost feel like you’ve traveled in space and come back again by the time it’s over.  Its time-space continuum preaches of love, hope, and the will to go on despite all obstacles, including gravity.

I sat with an audience that filled every seat in the IMAX screening, where Nolan’s 70mm movie magic really shines and where the seats practically rumbled while we hurled through space.  The movie simultaneously explores your heart strings and intergalactic space travel.

Uplifting theme: 

• Matthew McConaughey narrates the beginning of the movie, saying “We used to look up at the sky and wonder at our place in the stars.  Now we just look down and worry about our place in the dirt.”  The movie explores a dystopian world   and where mankind may go in the future, both physically and emotionally.
• Some will read spirituality into the story and see God’s hand in the journey, while others will applaud mankind’s strength to take care of ourselves.

Things I liked:

• Hans Zimmer’s new score is fantastic.
• I agree with Matthew McConaughey who said in a recent interview, “This is Christopher Nolan’s most ambitious work.”
• I love Anne Hathaway.  She always brightens any screen.  So does Matt Damon.
• You’ll learn a science lesson or two while being entertained.  Theoretical physicist Kip Thorne was consulted during the making of the film.
• A nod to 2001: A Space Odyssey was included by director/producer Nolan who wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan.
• The visual effects are stunning.  I liked seeing the tiniest reflection in someone's eyes through another's eye, and then the contrasting, grand aerial scenes over earth.
• It’s definitely thought-provoking and a great conversation-starter.
• I thought Amelia’s speech about love was profound and beautiful.
• The frozen cloud was cool.  Literally.  Ha ha
• I love symbolism in clever names, such as the project “Lazarus.”
• Mackenzie Foy is an adorable Murphy.  Jessica Chastain was a beautiful adult Murph.  Nice casting.

Things I didn’t like:

• It’s a bit slow-moving at times.  A friend of mine actually fell asleep.  Don’t expect a fast-paced action movie like Star Trek.
• Some of the script seems nonsensical.  Some of it was simply hard to hear.
• The black, sticky, towering thing that sucked up everything reminded me of the odd ending in the movie Lucy.

Interesting lines:

• “Love is the one thing that transcends time and space.” – Amelia Brand
• “We’ve always defined ourselves by the ability to overcome the impossible.  And we count these moments.  These moments when we dare to aim higher, to break barriers, to reach for the stars, to make the unknown known.  We count these moments as our proudest achievements.  But we lost all that.  Or perhaps we’ve just forgotten that we are still pioneers.  And we’ve barely begun.  And that our greatest accomplishments cannot be behind us, because our destiny lies above us.”  - Cooper
• “Do not go gently into that good night; old age should burn and rave at close of day.  Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” – Professor Brand
• “It’s not possible.”  - computer/TARS

“No.  It’s necessary.”  - Cooper

• “We’re not meant to save the world; we’re meant to leave it.”  - Professor Brand
• “Mankind was born on earth, but it wasn’t meant to die here.” – Cooper
• “You said science was admitting what you don’t know.”  - Young Murphy to her dad
• “They forget who we are – explorers, pioneers, not caretakers.”  - Cooper

Funny lines:

• “You look sic.”  - young Tom

“I cannot be sick.  I am a robot.”  - computer/TARS

• “We’re going to be spending a lot of time together.” – Amelia

“Then, we should learn to talk.”  - Cooper

“And when not to.”  - Amelia

• “We’ve calculated 2 years to Saturn.”  - Professor Brand

“That’s a lot of Dramamine.” – Doyle    (I actually got a little dizzy during some of the spinning scenes and had to look away.)

Tips for parents:

• 1 F-bomb and some other tough language.
• Young children may get bored.
• Kids who want to prove to their parents that all that time playing video games and using a joystick will come in handy now have ammunition for their case.

If you love this movie, you'll love these:

Rio 2 movie review from a tired mom

Movie Title:  Rio 2

G, 1 hour 41 minutes

Grade:   C+

In a Nutshell:   Forgettable.  Young children will be entertained, although the 4 year old sitting behind me kept asking his mother “Can we go home?”  That’s a not a good sign coming from the target audience. 

Theme: 

• Birds of a feather flock together?
• Humans are evil and destroy the planet.  (I’m getting really tired of hearing that from every movie I see lately.)
• Brazil is always ready for a party.

Things I liked:

• The colors are bright and fun, like watching a box of Fruit Loops explode on the big screen.
• I loved all the Brazilian tropical fruits, nuts, plants, and local products on display.
• The animation of the water in the Amazon River looked terrific.
• The only scene that made me laugh out loud was the talent show audition scene. 
• I thought all of the hats Nico tried on were cute.  I’m assuming Jamie Foxx’s character had a larger role in the first Rio?  I never saw it.
• Jesse Eisenberg is capable of playing smooth geniuses (The Social Network and Now You See Me ), as well as unconfident underdogs.
• Beautiful aerial views of Brazil.  I loved the montage of paper pop-up maps as they traveled through the landscapes and cities.  It makes me want to plan a trip to the country.
• The feathers on all of the birds’ heads were well designed and allowed the characters to distinguish their personalities one from the other.  The beaks also had impressive detail.
• There is a sleepy sloth who sings super fast rap.  Have you ever heard a sloth squeak in real life?  Totally adorable.
• I thought the Capoeira turtles were hilarious.  Check out this video about Brazilian Capoeira.

Things I didn’t like:

• I never saw the first Rio .  There is a quick flashback from the first movie to let you know why the cockatiel has a grudge against Blu, but I still felt like I was missing something…like why the first one was popular.  There are minor characters in this movie that were obviously carried over from the first, but since I hadn’t seen the first one, I didn’t feel a bond with them.  Their roles are not that strong in the sequel and didn’t add much to the story. 
• Many of the actors were underutilized, especially the terrific singing talents of Kristen Chenowith, Jamie Fox, Anne Hathaway, and will.i.am.  There were several songs, but most of them were too short for children to fall in love with or know how to sing them at home (like everyone is STILL doing with the soundtrack from Frozen .)  I couldn’t understand the lyrics in the “big” musical number sung by all the birds, making it even more difficult for the audience to leave the theater repeating them.  Kristen Chenoweth’s song was quite operatic, something a little girl is probably not going to be able to duplicate very well.  Her character’s little frog mouth had cute vibrato while she was singing though and I could hear children in the audience repeating her occasional funny lines.  This little lethal lover is sure to be the standout of the movie with children who beg for movie merchandising.   Bruno Mars sings, but it lasts less than 30 seconds as well.  With all this voice and singing talent, why didn’t director Carlos Saldanha really take advantage of it?
• Monkeys are usually scene stealers, but in this movie they’re not even cute.
• I can’t stand all that disgusting drool on the dog.  Why would anyone want a dog that salivates that much all over anything?  The animation was good though.
• The anteater’s tongue was pretty gross.  Cleverly used throughout the movie, but still gross.

Inspiring lines:

• “Happy wife.  Happy life.”    True.  The movie shows the sacrifices Blu is willing to make for his family.  Jewel, his "significant other", scolds him for being selfish, but she doesn't sacrifice a single thing for him in this movie.  It goes both ways to have a happy life.

Funny lines:

• “We’ll attack at the midnight hour, because it’s more evil.”  - Nigel
• We are going to the Amazon…yay!  (Blu)   Pedro says “Like the website?”
• “Wow.  Nigel es muy macho.”  - Gabi
• “I’ll be pooping on your party pronto.” – Nigel
• “It’s a spoon and a fork.  Be afraid.  Be very afraid.” – Blu   “Put down the spork.”  - Tiago
• “I love it when you get all dark and brooding.”  - Gabi

Tips for parents:  There isn’t as much adult humor to keep you entertained, as other animated films out there right now, such as Mr. Peabody and Sherman, but you can always get a nap out of it.   I almost dozed off a few times, but maybe I was just tired? There are a couple of jokes about poo, but otherwise, the language is perfectly clean.  Thankfully, nobody flips the bird in this film. Your children will be preached to about environmentalism.  The “camera” zooms in on this “No entrance” sign, which most children won’t understand.  “No entrar” means no entrance in Portuguese.  Now you can tell your kids and they'll think you're super smart.