The Foreigner features a very dramatic Jackie Chan

Movie Title:  The Foreigner

Grade: B+

Rating: R, 1 hour 54 minutes

In a Nutshell: Americans love movies.  And Jackie Chan.  We love watching him perform incredible stunts and fight sequences, mixed with humor and fun.  This isn't that kind of movie.

I was surprised at how much of a political thriller this movie was and how good of a dramatic actor Jackie Chan is.  It’s impressive how he can create such a relatable “every man” character while still having almost superhuman fighting skills.

The movie is based on The Foreigner: previously published as The Chinaman

Uplifting theme: 

• Revenge.
• Family.
• “Never push a good man too far.”

Things I liked:

• If you loved the first Rambo movie Rambo: First Blood where he hides and kills people in sneaky ways, you’ll get a kick out of some of the things Jackie Chan’s character does in this flick.  It also has a Liam Neeson Taken movie feel to it, as Jackie Chan's character is completely driven by the love he has for his daughter.
• Pierce Brosnan does an excellent job playing a complex character.  His Irish accent sounds pretty authentic too.

Things I didn’t like:

• I expected more humor, since it’s a Jackie Chan movie, but this movie was very much a drama.
• The mixture of Jackie Chan action and political thriller created an uneven film.  Surprisingly, he’s not in as much of the movie as you would think he would be.
• This has nothing to do with the 2003 Steven Seagal movie called The Foreigner.  It seems like they should have selected a different name for the movie.

Tips for parents: 

• Bloody car bomb and lots of explosions.  LOTS of bombs.
• Lots of death and dead bodies.
• Lots of violence.  Um….it’s a Jackie Chan movie!
• Profanity, including some F-bombs.

MOVIE REVIEW MOM

@trinaboice 

Brooklyn features talented Saoirse Ronan

Movie Title:      Brooklyn

Grade:   B+

Rating:   PG-13, 1 hour 51 minutes

In a Nutshell:    Irish actress Saoirse Ronan shines in this period piece about Irish immigrants coming to America in the 1950’s.  It’s a character study about self-discovery that flows slowly and smoothly.

Some critics were hoping she would be nominated for an Oscar for best actress, and she made the list (she didn't win). Not only that, but the film was also nominated for Best Picture, although it didn't win either.

Uplifting theme: 

•  The film asks the questions of all us:  Who am I?  Where do I belong? What should I do with my life?
• “Home sickness is like most sicknesses.  It will pass.” – Father Flood (Jim Broadbent)

Things I liked:

• I loved it when that guy sang an old Irish song in the food hall on Thanksgiving.  Have you discovered Peter Hollens on YouTube?  He sings a fantastic Irish song that I really love: “The Parting Glass”, which has been featured in the video game Assassin’s Creed 4. 
• I’ve always liked Domhnall Gleeson.  I loved him in About Time .   Too bad he doesn’t show up until the end of the movie.
• Julie Walters plays Mrs. Kehoe so well that you can almost taste her boarding house cooking.
• I loved visiting Ireland.  One of the things on my Bucket List is to not just go to Ireland, but to sing with drunk locals at pub in Ireland.  No, I don’t drink, but I think it would be fun to feel like an Irish girl where the locals hang out.
• I appreciated the respectful nod to all of the Irish immigrants who helped build the bridges, buildings, and traditions of Brooklyn: Then and Now® .

Things I didn’t like:

• The Irish director, John Crowley, introduces small conflicts throughout the film, but the big one doesn’t arrive until almost the end of the movie.  I thought it was resolved too quickly; I would have liked to see it explored in more depth.
• It’s very slow-moving.
• Tony’s character is, sadly, quite unmemorable.  He’s a nice guy, but his little brother is more interesting than he is.  There isn't a lot of chemistry in their romance.

Funny lines:

•  “Why didn’t you wear your blue dress?” – best friend

“Are you asking why I didn’t make more of an effort?” – Eilis Lacey

Tips for parents:   

• 2 F-bombs.  Usually a movie is rated R after the first F-bomb, so I don’t know why the film still has a PG-13 rating. 
• There’s an uncomfortable pre-marital sex scene with clothes on (mostly).