Alice Through the Looking Glass shares insights about time and family

Movie Title:      Alice Through the Looking Glass

Grade:   B-

Rating:  PG, 1 hour 48 minutes

In a Nutshell:  A lot of movie critics hated this movie, but I actually enjoyed the colorful ride.  It veers from the source material by Lewis Carroll, but offers some deep insights on time, family, and friendship.

Tim Burton's first Alice in Wonderland movie made a ton of movie, despite the fact that a lot of audiences and critics didn't like it very much.  As Alice says, "Curiouser and curiouser."

Uplifting theme: 

• “Every day is a gift: every hour, every minute, every second.” – Alice (Mia Wasikowska)
• “You cannot change the past, young lady, but I dare say you can learn from it.” – Time (Sacha Baron Cohen)
• Friendship
• “Every second counts.”   (I thought the little creatures that played “seconds” were interesting and creative.)
• “Time waits for no man or, indeed, woman.” – Alice
• Alice shares something her father used to say: “The only thing worth doing is what we do for others.” – Alice
• “The only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it’s possible.” - Alice

Things I liked:

• Helena Bonham Carter nails the Red Queen.  She’s fantastic.  I love her laugh in this movie.  The last time we saw her as a love interest with Sacha Baron Cohen was in Les Miserables, a wonderful movie that makes me cry every time.
• Sacha Baron Cohen usually plays disgusting characters in R rated movies, but he shines in this movie as “Time”.  The film is filled with both visual and verbal puns about time.  The back of his head has intricate clock mechanics, which looks pretty cool.
• We get to hear the voice of beloved Alan Rickman as Blue Caterpillar one last time.  I thought he was a wonderful actor and miss him.
• The special effects are really great, although 99% of the movie looks like it's filmed on a green screen with very little real things for the actors to react with.
• Keep watching during the rolling credits at the end to see some more silly moments.
• Alice is the captain of a ship named “Wonder” in the beginning of the movie.  In a discussion about the legal deed to the ship, someone says “Don’t give up the Wonder.”   Indeed.
• When you see this movie in the theater, you’ll get to see Pink’s music video before the movie plays for her new song: “Just Like Fire”, which marks the end of a three-year hiatus for the singer.
• See it in 3D if you can.
• I love Anne Hathaway and how she moves her hands and body as the White Queen.  Watch how she walks.  Priceless.

Things I didn’t like:

• The movie makes more sense if you have seen the last one that came out in 2010.
• The music on the trailer sounds like a 1960’s acid trip.  This movie did feel a bit trippy.  
• I adore Johnny Depp, but his character as Mad Hatter can be a bit frightening for children at times in this film.  The make-up is so overdone that it distracts you from his performance.  Someone offers an interesting insight that the Hatter is mad because “he denies himself laughter.”
• SPOILER:  The plot is pretty silly.  Alice is willing to destroy the time-space continuum in the entire universe because her friend is sad.
• Alice says that the Mad Hatter is her truest friend.  Really?  She doesn't have any good friends in the "real" world?
• Sometimes the actors look like they just "phone it in" emotionally.

Funny lines:

•  “I’ve always wondered when ‘soon’ is.” – The Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp)
• “Stupid me-shaped corridor.” – Time
• “Will this day never end?” – Time
• “Do you promise to be concise?” – Time (who then proceeds to ramble on and on)
• “Don’t abandon me when I’m sulking.” – The Red Queen
• “We’ll split up together.” – Tweedle Dee (Matt Lucas)  He and his twin brother look amazing.

Interesting lines:

• “Must you always be so head-strong?” – Helen Kingsleigh (Lindsay Duncan)

“No.  It’s just more fun that way.” – Alice

• “You’re running out of time.  I am inevitable.” - Time
• “Everyone parts with everything eventually, my dear.” – Time
• “It’s impossible!” – Mr. Phelps

“You know my views on that word, Mr. Phelps.” – Alice

• “Time is a cruel master.” – Helen Kingsleight

“Time is a thief and a villain.” – Alice

• “I wanted to believe I could do just six impossible things before breakfast.” - Alice
• “All will become clear in the fullness of time.” – The Blue Caterpillar

Tips for parents:   

• Young children will be entertained by the outlandish characters, but might get confused by the story that loops back and forth in time.
• No profanity.  Nice.
• Children will see that lying can have terrible consequences, even what seems like a small lie.
• There is a scary dragon that burns up an entire town.

Suffragette movie honors women who sacrificed so much for our voting rights

Movie Title:    Suffragette

Grade:  B+

Rating:  PG-13, 1 hour 46 minutes

In a Nutshell:    I teach a Politics class at a local college, so I was especially excited to see how Focus Features would handle this period piece in film.

The story is compelling and yet, it's only a short introduction to what some of our female forebears went through to secure for us the right to vote.   With a presidential election occurring in the United States this year, how many of you will take the time to vote?  Do you appreciate your right to vote?

The list of countries and the dates that women were given the right to vote is shown at the very end of the movie.  What’s surprising is the absence of many countries around the world who have still not granted women’s suffrage.

Uplifting theme: 

•  Like all rights, we who have them often forget the terrible price that was paid to have governments recognize and protect them.
• The ability to effect social change always requires sacrifice.
• “Never underestimate the power we women have to define our own destinies.” – Emmeline Pankhurst
• “We do not want to be law breakers.  We want to be law makers.” – Emmeline Pankhurst
• “Never surrender.  Never give up the fight.” – Emmeline Pankhurst
• “If it’s right for men to fight for their freedom, then it’s right for women to fight for theirs.” - Maud (Carey Mulligan)
• What rights are you willing to lose everything in order to gain?

Things I liked:

• The incredibly talented cast includes Carey Mulligan (I adore her), Meryl Streep (who doesn’t adore her?), Helena Bonham Carter (talented character actress), and Brendan Gleeson (I really hated him by the end of the movie).
• If you continue to think about a movie after watching it, then it's a good movie, right?
• The sets were generally believable.  Nice job.
• Your heart will break for these women.  Nice job.
• The main events illustrated in the film were historically accurate.
• It will leave you wanting to know more.
• Abi Morgan, who also wrote “The Iron Lady” (which I loved), creates interesting characters who have internal struggles of morality and doing what's right.

Things I didn’t like:

• After decades of being ignored on the issue of women’s suffrage, Emmeline Pankhurst issued a call for civil disobedience.  It definitely caught everyone’s attention, and the women involved felt they had no other option in order to be taken seriously.  Some people in today's society feel the same way about certain issues. Unfortunately, it's a dangerous course of action.  As Brendan Gleeson's character states, “Violence doesn’t discern.  It takes the innocent and the guilty.”
• The majority of the men are portrayed as disgraceful monsters.
• Meryl Streep gets very little screen time (4 minutes).  Shame.  To learn more about her character, check out the 2007 film "Suffragettes'.
• All of the bad reviews I've seen about this film were written by men.

Interesting lines:

• “You want me to respect the law?  Then make the law respectable.”  - Violet Cambridge (Anne-Marie Duff)
• “It’s deeds, not words that will get us the vote.” – Helena Bonham Carter
• “We break windows.  We burn things, because war is the only thing men listen to.” – Violet Cambridge
• “I would rather be a rebel than a slave.” - Maud 

Tips for parents:   

• Some profanity, including 1 F-bomb.
• Some violence, including bloody scenes.
• You see the rear end of a woman in the first jail scene when the women are changing into their prison clothes.
• Women are subjected to all kinds of terrible treatment by men.  
• Teenage girls need to get off their cell phones and watch this.

The new Cinderella is quite charming

Movie:  Cinderella

PG, 1 hour 45 minutes

Grade:  A

In a Nutshell:  In an era of movie remakes, this version of Cinderella by Director Kenneth Branagh is very simple, elegant, pure, and even old-fashioned, staying true to its original animation roots.  Walt Disney would have been very pleased.  So would the original author Charles Perrault. I loved it.

SPECIAL NOTE:  One of the best things about seeing this in the movie theater right now is the animated short that plays before the movie.  It’s called Frozen Fever and highlights your favorite characters from the Frozen movie!  It’s a cute singing number that features Anna’s birthday party.  Absolutely ADORABLE!

Uplifting Theme:

·         “Have courage and be kind.” – Cinderella’s dying mother’s wish for her.  This phrase is repeated so many times that it’s not a subtle theme, but a very clear one that even little children will be able to pick up on.

·         Inner beauty shines greater than outer beauty.

·         “Just because it’s done doesn’t mean what should be done.” - Ella
-    "Where there is kindness there is goodness and where there is goodness there is magic." - Ella

Things I liked:

·         That dress! Wow. We are sure to see dozens of little girls wearing miniature versions of Cinderella’s shimmering, blue ball gown  on our front door steps this year on Halloween, complete with butterflies and sparkles in the hair.  I thought it was clever to match the ball gowns with the personalities of the wearers, such as the tacky and garish stepsisters’ dresses contrasted with the beautiful, graceful one worn by Cinderella.  I also loved the Fairy Godmother’s whimsical dress with wings.

·         The word that describes the film itself, as well as the set designs is charming.

·         Cate Blanchett can do no wrong. I adore her in everything she does.  She is splendid in this role as Lady Tremaine and looks absolutely stunning in every outfit in every scene.  Her subtle expressions add depth and nuance to the wicked step-mother, but they don’t change the story, only enhance it just enough.

·         The mice and other CGI creatures look very real.  They provide some comic relief, but it is very understated and simple.   The narrator tells us that Ella “had very little in the way of friends…well, her friends were very little.”

·         The magical transformations of the creatures to footmen, coachman, etc  is wonderfully Disney.   The lizard footmen are kind of creepy looking, but I love that they had lizard teeth and kept a green eye shadow hue to remind us of their true nature.

·         Both Prince Charming (the handsome, blue-eyed Richard Madden with absolutely perfect teeth) and Cinderella are modest, wholesome, noble, and good.  That’s so refreshing in protagonists these days.

·         Cinderella shows such grace and poise even when confronted with cruelty.  SPOILER ALERT: I love it when she tells her wicked stepmother “I forgive you.”  Lily James is the perfect Cinderella, so kind and graceful.  I want to be her.  In real life, she's a mezzo-soprano and sings the classic Cinderella song "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" at the end when credits are rolling.  How lovely.

·         I’m really glad this film didn’t show the ugly step-sisters getting their feet cut off to fit into the glass slipper like in the recent movie Into the Woods .  So gross.  Speaking of glass slipper….wow!  Gorgeous.  “And you’ll find them quite comfortable.”  - Fairy Godmother    
-     There are a few touching moments, including a very sweet one with the prince and his father that made me shed a tear. 

Things I didn’t like:

·          Helena Bonham Carter appeared too fake and quirky for this simple, elegant version of Cinderella.   While some would say she stole the show, I thought the humor seemed too forced and out of place.

·         Ella always wears the same blue dress to everything. Her ball gown is also blue.

·         It’s a bit slow-moving with very little action.

·         The interactions with Ella and Prince Charming were too short.  I wanted to see them together longer.

·         I was surprised that Prince Charming’s castle didn’t look like the Cinderella castle in Disneyland.

Funny lines:

·         “I can’t drive!  I’m a goose!.”  - Coachman

Interesting lines:

·         “I believe animals speak to us if only we have an ear to hear them.  That’s how we learn to care for them.” – Ella’s mother  (played by the lovely Hayley Atwell who you will see more of in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man)

·         “Time passed. Pain turned to memory.”  - Narrator (Fairy Godmother)  True statement.

·         “I do love a happy ending, don’t you?” – Ella

·         “Kindness is free.”  - Ella

·         “This is, perhaps, the greatest risk we will take – to be seen for who we really are.” – Narrator/Fairy godmother

·         “Surely you have a right to your own heart.” – Ella

·         “It really was like a dream…better than a dream.” – Ella

·         “They’re all looking at you.  – Ella

“Believe me…they’re all looking at YOU!” – Prince Charming

Post by Walt Disney Studios.

·         “Names have power.”  - Narrator/Fairy Godmother

·         “Punctuality is the politeness of princes.”  - King

Tips for Parents:

·         There is nothing super scary or offensive.  This is a very safe movie for family viewing of all ages. 

·         No profanity.  You’ll hear “Gosh” and “my goodness” instead. I think the harshest sentence uttered is when the wicked Stepmother says “Do shut up” to her own daughter who sings terribly.

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