Manchester by the Sea will break your heart

Movie Title:    Manchester By The Sea

Grade:  B

Rating: R, 135 minutes

In a Nutshell: Casey Affleck delivers a powerful performance, mastering the art of subtlety. 

He recently won "Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama" by the Golden Globes and has been nominated to receive the Best Leading Actor award by the BAFTA Film Awards.  That does no means end the list of awards this film has garnered.

Was it my favorite movie of 2016?  Definitely not.  Does it deserve some awards.  Yup.  I still think Denzel Washington should have won Best Actor for Fences though...

Uplifting theme: 

• Family is everything.
• Guilt, sorrow, grief.
• I've learned in my life that when someone behaves VERY badly and irrationally, I try to give them the benefit of the doubt because I know they are hurting either physically or emotionally.

Things I liked:

• I loved the jazz version of “Oh What A Beautiful Morning” in the bar scene towards the beginning of the movie.
• There is some soft humor to break up the dreary, somber sadness.
• Kyle Chandler gives the best performance I have seen him give.  He usually seems like he's acting, but he felt "real" in this story.
• Michelle Williams was fantastic.  The scene where she runs  into Lee Chandler on the street was breathtaking.  I literally stopped breathing while I watched her.  
• Director and writer Kenneth Lonergan doesn’t talk down to the audience and trusts that you will be able to follow the emotional ride and timeline. 
• You definitely don’t feel like you’re watching a movie, but rather, real life.  It’s almost like you’re a fly on the wall, watching real people go through some pretty terrible trials. 
• I love Matthew Broderick in anything, so even though he has a very small role in this film, it was great to see him.

Things I didn’t like:

• I like movies that allow me to escape the mundane, sadness of the world, but this movie throws you right in the middle of it and assaults you with incredible difficult situations and rough-and-tumble people you wouldn't want to spend a day with.
• There is a lot of bouncing around from past to present.
• No family should have to experience such heartache.
• Some of the music choices seemed mismatched for the scenes.  Most of it sounded like old Catholic music, yet the characters never really embraced their religion to help them through their struggles.  Elise (Gretchen Mol) tried, but was unsuccessful.
• I hate watching “Playas”…slimy, scumbag guys who sleep with a bunch of different girls.  
• How naive can parents be to allow their kid to close and lock their bedroom door with someone of the opposite gender inside?  My dad NEVER allowed that. EVER.

Interesting lines:

• “I can’t beat it.” - Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck)

Funny lines:

• “I think if you’re going to freak out every time you see a frozen chicken, I think we should go to the hospital. I don’t know anything about this.” – Casey
• “What happened to your hand?” – Patrick (Lucas Hedges)

“I cut it.” – Casey

“Oh, for a minute there I didn’t know what happened.” – Patrick

Tips for parents: 

• About a thousand F-bombs and other profanity.
• Pre-marital relations among teenagers.  There is a lot of discussion about it and you see some teens start to take off their clothes.
• People getting drunk and behaving badly.
• This is not a family-friendly movie.  It is a mature character study and look at coping with loss and sorrow.

@trinaboice 

Batman vs. Superman features several epic battles

Movie Title:  Batman vs. Superman

Grade:          B-

Rating:  PG-13, 2 hours 31 minutes

In a Nutshell:    When I saw the first trailer for this superhero movie almost a year ago, I thought it was a dumb idea.  I mean, Superman could easily kick Batman’s butt, right?  No contest.  No film needed. The next trailer that played a few months later included a sneak peek at Wonder Woman and then I became more intrigued, hoping there would be more to the story.

In an attempt to build the Justice League (and the movie studio’s coffers), this new installment in the DC Comic world of films is quite dark and takes itself a little too seriously.    It’s flawed, yet has some epic moments worth seeing.     

Uplifting theme: 

• “We can do better.  We will.  We have to.” – Batman
• “Ignorance is not the same as innocence.” – Anatoli Knyazev (Callan Mulvey)
• God vs. man.
• “What is good?  In a democracy, it’s a conversation, not a unilateral decision.” – Senator Finch
• Good vs. evil.
• Revenge vs. forgiveness.

Things I liked:

• I like Ben Affleck as Batman.  His greying sideburns give him a certain level of sophistication.  Some think he makes a better Daredevil.  Good for him for playing 2 superheroes!  How about a Batman vs. Daredevil movie?!  Ha ha
• I love the handsome Henry Cavill as Superman.
• Gal Gadot is a gorgeous Wonder Woman.  Her legs are perfect.
• Jesse Eisenberg plays the fast-talking, psychotic genius Lex Luthor.  His over-the-top, intense performance reminded me of Heath Ledger’s outstanding portrayal of the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film The Dark Knight .
• See it in 3D if you can.  There are a lot of scenes that are nicely enhanced…simple things like falling leaves, snow, and underwater views, not to mention all of the CGI action sequences.
• The beginning of the movie had some really great sequences that set the tone and serve as a little "catch-up" for those who can't remember what happened to the characters in their last movies.
• The new Batmobile is pretty dang cool.  I’d like it to stop moving for once so that I can get a better look at it.

• Walking Dead: Season 2 fans will be happy to see that Batman’s mom is played by the lovely Lauren Cohan for a few brief moments.
• I also love watching anything with Holly Hunter, Jeremy Irons, Amy Adams, and Diane Lane in it.  Here’s a picture of me with Diane Lane!  (Yeah, I keep showing it every time I review a movie with her in it.  I don't have many pictures of me with celebrities.  ha ha)

• One of the best things about this movie is the Lego Batman trailer that plays before the movie.  That movie looks awesome!
• Everyone likes to poke fun at Christian Bale's ridiculously deep Batman voice.  This film makes more sense when you see Alfred make a device to intentionally change Bruce Wayne's voice to hide his identity.
• The special effects were pretty amazing.

Things I didn’t like:

• Marvel Comics has been knocking it out of the park lately with their superheroes movies because of their coolness factor + humor.  This Batman v. Superman movie, “the greatest gladiator fight in the world”  has very little humor.  The audience walked out almost drained, rather than energized.
• TONS of CGI.  It comes at you constantly and so quickly that it becomes almost numbing.
• Batman wears full body armor like he’s playing Halo 5: Guardians video game.
• When are Alfred and Batman ever going to shave? 
• There were quite a few lines in the movie I disliked on a philosophical level.  Lex Luthor spouts all kinds of pessimistic theories and even Superman says “No one stays good in this world.”  I refuse to believe that.
•  The movie tries to cover a lot of time and back stories, as well as add some new monsters into the mix, but it ends up being too choppy and heavy-handed.
• It's a bit scattered, messy, and sometimes confusing.

\

Funny lines:

•  “You’re psychotic.” –  Lois Lane

“That is a 3 syllable word for any thought too big for little minds.”  – Lex Luther

• “I’m not a lady.  I’m a journalist.” – Lois Lane  
• “Even you’ve gotten too old to die young…not for lack of trying.” - Alfred
• "Maybe it's the Gotham City in me...we've just had a bad history with freaks dressed like clowns." - Batman

Interesting lines:

•  “If man won’t kill God, the devil will do it.” – Lex Luthor

“What have you done?” – Superman

• “You want to know the oldest lie in America, Senator?  It’s that power can be innocent.” – Lex Luthor

• “The world has been so caught up with what Superman can do, no one has asked what he should do.” – Senator Finch

• “That's how it starts...the fever..the rage...the feeling of powerlessness that turns good men cruel.” – Alfred

• “We don’t have to use a silver bullet, but if we forge one, we don’t have to depend on the kindness of monsters.” – Lex Luthor

• “And now, God bends to my will.” – Lex Luthor
• "You're not brave.  Men are brave.  You say you want to help people, but you can't experience their pain...their mortality.  It's time you learned what it means to be a man!" - Batman

Tips for parents:   

• Amy Adams is naked in a bath tub, but you mostly only see her shoulders.  Clark Kent steps into the bathtub with his clothes on and gets frisky.
• Endless barrage of explosions, fights, chase scenes, buildings destroyed, car smashes, and firing weapons.
• Yep, there will be PLENTY of merchandising!   

Tom Clancy fans come out of the shadows to cheer on the new Jack Ryan

Movie Title:  Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

PG-13, 1 hour 45 minutes

Grade: A-

In a Nutshell:  Tom Clancy fans will love this prequel to the popular Jack Ryan save-the-USA stories.  Chris Pine, with his beautiful blue eyes, joins the club of fantastic leading men who have brought this patriotic character to life: Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, and Ben Affleck.  I would have loved to see some short cameo appearances with those guys!

Sure, the film is formulaic: inexperienced CIA analyst uncovers an attack on the U.S. and is suddenly thrust into operative status as he dodges bullets, guided by a crusty mentor (played by Kevin Costner).  It’s still a fun spy thriller that will get your pulse going as you yell “Hurry!” at the big screen.

Uplifting theme:  Jack is wounded in Afghanistan in the beginning of the film, but finds two unexpected motivations to recuperate: Cathy and protecting his beloved country. I loved the look in his penetrating eye (one was swollen shut) as he was wheeled off on a gurney.  It said so much about how this country felt after the 9/11 attacks. Meaningful motivation can push you beyond what you thought you could do.

Things I liked: Kenneth Branagh directs and plays a vicious Russian in the movie.  He proves he can equally navigate Shakespeare and Thor.  I liked that the setting is modern day and spotlights a very real threat of the collapse of the American dollar.  Jack warns “They’ll call it the American crisis, but after six weeks, they’ll call it what it is…the second Great Depression.”

Things I didn’t like:  I usually like Keira Knightley, but I just didn’t feel the chemistry between her and Chris Pine.  She seemed a bit forced with her American accent. There is an obligatory car chase scene and many of the tense moments feature pounding at computer keyboards.  One disjointed scene that annoyed me included a fight scene with Jack and Aleksandr in the water under the streets, but then suddenly they’re exchanging blows in a van moving above-ground.  With all of the recent talk in the news of NSA spying, it’s interesting to see how quickly the field agents can gather intel and act on it.

Funny lines:

• “You weren’t kidding…you ARE in the CIA” states Jack.  William Harper responds “Somebody has to be.”
• “This is geo-politics, not couple’s therapy.” – William Harper
• “You Americans like to think of yourselves as direct, but maybe you’re just rude.” – Viktor Cherevin
• “You Russians like to think of yourselves as poetic, but maybe you’re just touchy.”  - Jack
• “The first night can be brutal.” = Viktor Cherevin after he tries to get Jack killed
• William Harper asks “Any way to get that Boy Scout look off your face?”  Jack laughs “Not a chance.”  Harper responds “Good.  That’s what I like about you.”
• “He drinks, right?” Jack asks.  The response: “Like a Russian.”
• “I’m in the CIA ”  - Jack    SPOILER ALERT:  After surviving a frightening ordeal, Cathy sighs “Thank God.”

Inspiring lines:

• “Wait 2 minutes before you take that” counsels Cathy to her new patient Jack who wants some pain killers.  When he asks “Why?” she inspires “So you know you can.”

Things to look for:

• Read the words on the movie screen when Jack passes the data on to a field agent in the dark movie theater for a symbolic undertone.
• The 360 degree camera pan while Jack is in the taxi after just arriving in Russia.
• The picture hanging in Viktor’s office.  What is it? “Battle Of Bunker Hill ”?  Interesting choice, right?

Tips for parents: One F-bomb, but not that much other profanity.  Lots of bloodless fighting scenes. Jack and Cathy are found in bed for a conversation only.

Add this one to your collection of other fun Jack Ryan movies.  These are some of my favorite movies of all time: