Darkest Hour will probably win Gary Oldman an Oscar

Movie Title:  
DARKEST HOUR based on the book:

Darkest Hour: How Churchill Brought England Back from the Brink

Grade:  A-

Rating: PG-13, 2 hours 5 minutes

In a Nutshell:   With a fascinating protagonist like Winston Churchill, you can hardly go wrong.  

Gary Oldman gives a fantastic performance, the best of his career, and will likely be nominated for an Oscar and probably a win.

 

Uplifting theme: 

• Director Joe Wright explained at the Paris Theater premiere in New York City that this is a film about resistance.
• “Conquer we must, as conquer we shall!” – Winston Churchill
• Strength, courage, tenacity

Things I liked:

• I toured Winston Churchill’s War Room underground in London a couple of years ago and was in awe.  It’s a tourist must for history buffs and fans of Winston Churchill’s leadership.
• I love Lily James in anything.  She’s so lovely and talented and beautiful.
• Kristin Scott Thomas is always wonderful.  What a clever woman Clementine Churchill had to be to handle her husband, and all while gracefully wearing pearls.  It makes you wonder how much more you could do with your life if you had someone like Clementine cheering you on.
• A reminder that even the lowest worker in the ministry played an important role in winning the war.
• Some subtle humor and entertaining dialogue
• There is mention of Dunkirk.  Want to know more about that part of World War II?  Watch the compelling movie and read my movie review of Dunkirk here.
• I loved the subway scene.
• Thrilling speeches that give you rich context to their inspired words.

Things I didn’t like:

• It’s a bit slow and stodgy.
• Sadly, Sir John Hurt died during the filming.  The film was dedicated to him.

Funny lines:

• Be yourself.” – Clementine

“Which self would you like me to be?” – Winston Churchill

• “Are we terribly old?” – Clementine

“Yes, I’m afraid you are.” – Winston

• “Will you stop interrupting me while I am interrupting you?!” – Winston
• “So, this is the Underground!” – Winston when he rides the London Tube for the first time.
• “How old is he?” – Winston, while looking at a baby

“5 months.  He looks like you!” – mother on the subway

“All babies look like me.” - Winston

Interesting lines:

• “It must be late there for you.” – US President on a phone call

“In more ways than you could possibly know.” – Winston

• “You cannot reason with a tiger when your head is in its mouth!” – Winston
• “You are strong because you are imperfect.  You are wise because you have doubts.” – Clementine
• “Lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for.” - Winston
• "Success is not final.  Failure is not fatal.  It is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston

Tips for parents: 

• Children will be bored out of their minds.
• Some profanity.

@trinaboice 

The Space Between Us has a lot of empty spaces in theater seats

Movie Title:   The Space Between Us

Grade:   B

Rating:  PG-13, 120 minutes

• In a Nutshell:  This is kind of a modern version of the old Starman film about STAR-crossed lovers. Writer/Director  Peter Chelsom has given us some truly mediocre films.  Sadly, this is another one.  Fun fact: He voices Centaur in the movie.

For a movie about science, there wasn't a lot of chemistry on the screen.

Uplifting theme: 

• Our most valuable resource on Earth is courage.
• “Just because something sounds crazy, doesn’t mean it’s not true.” – Gardner
• “You don’t know how far away you are until there’s someone you want to be near.” – Gardner
• What is your favorite thing about Earth?
• We live on a truly magnificent planet and need to enjoy every minute we get to live on it.
• Humanity, friendship, loneliness
• Both Gardner and Tulsa want to feel close to someone and be a part of a family.  In the great universe of space, there is small part of every human's soul to want to belong.

Things I liked:

• Disney is in love with Britt Robertson.  She’s definitely adorable and makes us believe she’s truly in love with whoever the lead actor is.  Her romantic leads have been much older men in other movies, so I wonder how she felt being with the young Asa Butterfield.  
• Asa Butterfield does a good job walking “heavy” in the beginning, as he tries to get used to gravity.
• Carla Gugino looks like she has been living at the gym lately and looks fantastic.  Her character’s name is Kendra.  If I had a daughter, I would have named her Kendra. 
• There are some really beautiful images of outer space, Earth, and everything in between.
• You can SEE the sonic boom as the spaceship takes off through the atmosphere. That was cool.
• That clear laptop used by Sarah’s brother (played by Colin Egglesfield) looked awesome.
• There is a tiny twist that helped save the ending for me.
• It cracked me up when Gardner was in Las Vegas (where I live) and made the following accurate observation, “It’s like a big toy.  It’s not real.”  True.  My oldest son didn’t grow up in Las Vegas and calls the city a “gold-encrusted turd.” 
• I liked when Tulsa looked up at all of the hot air balloons in the sky and finally grinned, recognizing that this earth we live on is pretty special.
• Self-driving car!  Yes!
• Aurora Borealis!  That’s on my Bucket List!
• The stunt double for both Britt Robertson and Carla Gugino is named Trina!  Woohoo!  Great name!
• It’s appropriate that the name of the Mars project is Genesis.
• Did you notice the pretty frosted glass chairs in the hangar at the beginning of the movie? 
• I chuckled out loud when I saw “Kick me” written on the back of Gardner’s robot.

Things I didn’t like:

• It almost pulled tears out of my eyes, but my tear ducts felt too manipulated and refused to cooperate with the director's plan.
• Tulsa and Gardner go on a romantic crime spree, stealing cars and other things while they try to run from their "mean" pursuers.
• Quite a few parts of the story line are absolutely ridiculous.
• This movie had a LOT of very young-looking Extras, which made it look like a movie, rather than real life.
• It always bugs me when the movie trailer has lines or moments that never actually show up in the movie.  That being said, the trailer pretty much sums up the movie, minus the small twist at the end.

Interesting lines:

• “The world doesn’t give you exactly what you want.” – Tulsa
• “Just because people lied to you before doesn’t mean I’m lying to you.” – Gardner
• “We’re running out of time and Mother Nature does not negotiate.” – Nathaniel Shepherd (Gary Oldman)

Funny lines:

• “I’m on a road trip with an insane person.” – Tulsa
• “You’re taller than I thought you’d be.” – Tulsa

“You’re meaner than I thought you’d be.” - Gardner

Romantic lines:

• What’s your favorite thing about earth?” – Gardner

“You are, Gardner.” – Tulsa

• “How did you become more beautiful in 20 seconds?” - Gardner
• “You make me human.” – Gardner

Tips for parents:   

• Pre-marital relations between teenagers.
• Teens steal cars and participate in other illegal and irresponsible behavior, all free of consequences.
• Discussion about foster care and Social Services.
• Pre-teens who often feel disenfranchised or misunderstood will enjoy this film.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes provides action and drama

Movie Title:  Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

PG-13, 2 hours 10 minutes

Grade:  B+/A-

In a Nutshell:   

When I was young I went to a Planet Of The Apes Movie Marathon with my friends.  We got a kick out of the furry franchise, featuring the talents of Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowell.  We knew the apes looked cheesy, but we still liked it.  Well, the apes sure don't look cheesy in this newest edition.  In fact, they're pretty doggone amazing.

This action-packed edition is a sequel to the successful 2011 reboot Rise Of The Planet of the Apes and showcases some truly amazing CGI.  Planet of the Apes purists will get to see some of their favorite parts: apes riding horses while toting AR15s, explosions, and plenty of human-ape conflict.

The dystopian genre has been extremely popular these past few years and, I must admit, it was interesting to imagine what my old stopping grounds, San Francisco, would look like after a deadly pandemic hits the area, wiping out most of the human race.  The setting and mood in this film are exceptional.

Uplifting theme: 

• Trust.
• Power.  The humans were trying to get power…electricity to run their colony of survivors.  The apes were also trying to get power…control over humans.
• Both sides, apes and humans, include those who see a future built on respect for the other, as well as those who are filled with hatred and prejudice. You’ll find yourself cheering for both sides.

Things I liked:

• Those eyes!  Those penetrating eyes!  Outstanding CGI showcases super detailed facial expressions on the apes.  The monkeys were extremely realistic, although some of their movements were a little too human.  There were a couple of times when some apes fought each other and it looked more like a professional wrestling match in the WWE.   
• The tears and subtle expressions on the apes' faces were so impressive.  In fact, those who shed tears in the movie (apes AND humans) do so in such a genuine way that it's not overdone.
• You get to see an adorable baby chimpanzee.  Adorable.
• I thought the “head hug” between (NO SPOILER ALERT) the ape and the man was very sweet.  It reminded me of the movie 10,000 B.C.
• I’ve always thought Keri Russell was so lovely.  I want a pair of her boots to tromp around in the woods.
• Gary Oldman and Jason Clarke do a good job and the uber-talented Andy Serkis supplies the meaningful voice behind Caesar, the leader of the apes.
• In the Mark Walberg edition of Planet Of The Apes , the apes almost had magical powers that enabled them to fly and jump to an absurd degree.  This film's apes are more realistic and believable. 

Things I didn’t like:

• I know they have to make distinctions between the apes so that we can tell them apart, but I thought the hippie, beaded headband that Caesar’s wife wore was just silly.  There was also some other ape that always hung out with the wife who wore a completely bizarre face mask with dangles covering almost the entire face.
• Why do they always put the dumb Bubbas in charge of the guns?
• There were some inconsistencies in the story.  For example, Malcolm said about the apes, “They don’t need power; that’s their strength.”  However, when we go into the apes’ headquarter camp at night, they have hanging lamps.  It made for a pretty lighting effect, but was illogical.  Why would the apes need lamps?
• The movie takes itself a little too seriously.  There were a few, mildly humorous moments, but it could have used a few more.

Did you notice?

• The symbol on the big rock in the apes’ headquarters.
• The muscle serving as the guard patrol at the apes’ headquarters were a bunch of beefy gorillas.
• I thought the sounds the orangutan made were really interesting and wondered if they were close to the real thing.  Click here to hear what a real orangutan sounds like.  It’s known as the “longcall.”
• Did you know that the talented actor who voices Caesar also created the fantastic sounds and movement for Gollum in The Complete Lord of the Rings Trilogy , as well as the duo films for The Hobbit ?
• It was a female actress who voices the ape, Maurice.

Interesting lines:

• “Fear makes others follow.”  - Caesar’s son
• “Trust.”  - Caesar
• “I see how much like them we are.” – Caesar
• “Ape not kill ape.” – Caesar
• “He saw things no kid should ever see and I’m not letting us go back to that.”  - Malcom 
• “What are you doing?”  

“Saving the human race.”  - Dreyfus

• “Home.  Family.  Future.”  - Caesar

Tips for parents:  Some profanity, 1 F-bomb, and lots of violence.  If you have kids who are learning sign language at school, they may enjoy watching the apes “talk.”  There are a lot of captions throughout the entire movie to help you understand what the apes are saying.  

If you haven’t seen earlier versions of the Planet of the Apes franchise, check out some of these: