Red Sparrow takes spy thriller to a Rated X level

Movie Title:    
        Red Sparrow

Grade:  C-

Rating: R, 
2 hours 19 minutes

In a Nutshell:   This sex filled spy thriller features psychological manipulation and LOTS of undressing and naked bodies.  Even Jennifer Lawrence shows us full frontal nudity. Why isn’t this movie Rated X?

It feels more like a tale of prostitution than super spy.  It's like saying Fifty Shades of Grey is a romantic love story.

Tips for parents: 

• Full frontal male and female nudity.
• Two completely naked people having sex.
• Bloody beatings and violent deaths
• A woman undresses down to her underwear.  Another gets completely naked.
• Homosexuality
• Attempted rape
• Crude language, profanity, F-bombs
• Someone gets run over by a car.  Yuck.
• Some family-friendly spy movies without all of the graphic violence and nudity that’s found in Red Sparrow are Spy Kids and Agent Cody Banks.
• If you’re intrigued by psychological manipulation, but want your teens to be able to watch something that’s not Rated R, check out the interesting social experiment in the TV show “The Push” found on Netflix right now.

                                           

Uplifting theme: 

• Sacrifice for a higher purpose
• Extreme patriotism

Things I liked:

• The talented cast includes Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Irons, Joel Edgerton, Charlotte Rampling, and Mary-Louise Parker.
• To enforce the title of the movie and the Russian setting, the color red plays a dominant role, from the movie poster, to the clothing that people wear to the bloody scenes.  
• Jennifer Lawrence trained in ballet for 4 months, although Isabella Boylston was her lovely body double who did the more difficult choreography.       
• Directed by Francis Lawrence, this movie is his first film since he directed The Hunger Games movies.  Clearly, Jennifer Lawrence trusts him completely. She would have to in order to strip and do the things she does in this movie.  She's in fantastic shape, by the way.
• You don't know who is telling the truth, which makes it intriguing and suspenseful.  
• The movie is based on the book by Jason Matthews who was a former CIA operative.  Cool. 
• The opening sequence is a bit confusing, but mesmerizing.            

Things I didn’t like:

• The telling is uneven.
• Way too much graphic nudity and sex.  There are so many awkward scenes.
• Women are used as tools in a one-dimensional portrayal.
• It's very dark and violent, which must have rubbed off on Jennifer Lawrence who, apparently, got into a bar fight in Budapest when she was filming the movie.
• Jennifer Lawrence has basically the same expression on her face the entire movie.  It's hard to see her character arc.
• The movie feels long and tiring.
• Disgusting torture.

  Interesting lines:

• “There’s no such thing as luck.” – Scumbag guy
• “Your body belongs to the State.  Since your birth, the State nourished it.  Now the State asks for something in return.” – Matron (Charlotte Rampling)
• “In my experience, the proud are the first to fall.” – Matron
• 
  

Funny lines:
*  "Why are all the Russian women so sexy?  All the men look like toads." - Stephanie Boucher (Mary-Louise Parker)

  

       

                                              @trinaboice

Loving is a quiet look at the Civil Rights movement and interracial marriages

Movie Title:  Loving

Grade:  A-

Rating:  PG-13, 123 minutes

In a Nutshell: Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, this historical drama sensitively tells the true story about the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision that invalidated state laws prohibiting interracial marriage.  

This movie received a standing ovation at its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

The film is based in part on the documentary The Loving Story by Nancy Buirski.

Loving is the last name of the married couple, yet also a simple statement about what’s important in life.

Uplifting theme: 

• Love doesn’t come in colors.
• “Marriage is a fundamental right.” – Bernie Cohen (Nick Kroll)

Things I liked:

• Joel Edgerton does a great job.  His character  becomes an unexpected civil rights activist. Wow, those blue eyes.
• Ruth Negga has incredibly expressive eyes. I first noticed her in Marvel's Agents of SHIELD - Season 2 [DVD] and think she is so beautiful.
• I love the imagery and symbolism of Richard Loving building foundations as a hard-working brick layer.  The foundation of a loving family is built on a strong marriage.  The foundation of a successful country is its good, hard-working citizens and the protection of civil liberties.
• This film’s treatment of the Loving’s story is very respectful and understated, making it all the more powerful.
• Michael Shannon plays a very small role as Grey Villet, but is a welcomed addition and a softer character than we’re used to seeing him play.  Director Jeff Nichols adores Michael Shannon, as this is their 5th film together.
• You get to see the famous picture of Richard and Mildred Loving at the end of the movie.
• Marton Csokas does a great job playing a man you don't like, the racist Sheriff Brooks.

Things I didn’t like:

• There isn’t any humor to offset the heavy sadness and drama of the serious social issues.
• It’s extremely slow moving. 

Interesting lines:

• “Now you know what’s it like.” – Virgil (Will Dalton)
• “Is there anything you’d like me to say to them?  And by 'them' I mean the Supreme Court justices of the United States?” –Bernie Cohen (Nick Kroll)

“Yeah.  You can tell the judge…tell the judge I love my wife.” – Richard Loving (Joel Edgerton)

Tips for parents: 

• You’ll hear the “N” word.
• Discussion of premarital sex.
• If you’re 45 years or younger, it’s hard to imagine a time when interracial couples were not allowed to marry.  You can have a good discussion with your children about racism and civil liberties.  America has come a long way since the Civil Rights movement of the 50s and 60s, although we still have a long way to go.

Other fantastic movies about the Civil Rights movement that you should see:

Selma
Lee Daniels' The Butler
The Help
Mississippi Burning
Remember The Titans
To Kill a Mockingbird

"Don't let your people go" see this version of the Bible's Exodus story

Movie:  Exodus: Gods and Kings

PG-13, 2 hours 22 minutes

Grade: C for Could have been so much better

In a Nutshell:  

Don’t “let your people go” and waste their hard-earned money on this.  How can a movie full of attacking alligators, oozing boils, and fighting Egyptian armies be so bland?  But it is.  While full of action scenes, impressively grand scope, and vivid imagery, the movie lacks heart, soul, and inspiration.  It's so disappointing, especially because it had all of the tools to make for a great movie, but sadly, it misses the mark.

Director Ridley Scott is fantastic at creating “sword and sandal” 
battle sequences, but I wish he had consulted some faithful Jews, Muslims and Christians who are passionate about the story behind the action.  He seems to have studied the general story line, but not the  source of the source material, if you know what I mean.

One of my biggest gripes is that Moses, God’s prophet, is clueless and faithless most of the time in this film.  Apparently, God is a bratty child who throws tantrums and wants revenge.  That’s not how I picture either of them.   If you want to see a REALLY great movie about the Biblical Exodus story, revisit Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments .”   Better yet, read the book.  It's always better and it's pretty popular this time of year...

Uplifting theme: 

*  God will save you after 400 years of slavery.   (wink)   Sadly, this movie depicts a vengeful god, rather than a loving one.

Things I liked:

• ·         The CGI and 3D immersion techniques were stunning. 
• ·         There was a lot of rich texture the fabrics, architecture, landscape, clothing, and faces.
• ·         Joel Edgerton was a convincing Ramses, but I wish Oscar-winning script writer Steve Zaillian had given him more meaningful and layered internal motivation than just revenge.  Joel must have gained weight during the filming, because practically every time we see him as Ramses, he’s eating something.  ha ha
• ·         I wanted to laugh when I first saw comedic actor John Turturro as Seti, Ramses’ father, but I was pleasantly surprised at the mature elegance with which he played the part.
• ·         I’m always happy to see Ben Kingsley in anything.  It’s too bad he didn’t have much to do or say.
• ·         Some of the movie was filmed in Spain.  I lived in Spain for 2 years, so that wins it some points.  The landscapes and aerial vistas were truly awesome.
• ·         Ridley Scott is 77 years old!  Wow!
• ·         The musical score was sweeping and fitting.
•        I really like the subtitle: "Gods and Kings."  It also seems sweeping and fitting.  Ridley Scott said he picked it because the title "Exodus" was already taken.

Things I didn’t like:

• ·          It’s a bit slow-moving in parts.
• ·         The parting of the Red Sea wasn’t as dramatic as it was in The Ten Commandments , but the gigantic, crashing waves were.
• ·         I wanted to see more faces of the Children of Israel.  They were treated en masse, so the audience never felt emotionally invested in their personal stories and everything felt very one dimensional.
• ·         Many are criticizing Ridley Scott’s casting decisions that did not include Middle-Eastern looking actors.  He recently told Variety magazine “I can’t mount a film of this budget, where I have to rely on tax rebates in Spain, and say that my lead actor is Mohammad so-and-so from such-and-such. I’m just not going to get it financed. So the question doesn’t even come up.”
• ·         The ending was anti-climactic.  Bland.
• ·         At least this movie wasn’t as terrible as Hollywood’s attempt at Noah.  Read why I hated that movie so much. 

Did you notice?

• ·         Christian Bale seemed to dig a little deeper than he did in his role as the monotone Batman Begins .  The spot in his mustache where he can’t grow hair was a bit distracting for me.  Was I that bored that I noticed such a small thing?  Did you notice his curly-toed sandals?
• ·         Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad: Season 1
• ·         All of the actors attempted a British accent, except Sigourney Weaver.  It reminded me of the Kevin Costner in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves where he didn’t even try.
• ·         The beautiful Indira Varma from the pornographic Game of Thrones: Season 1 plays Miriam, Moses’ wife.  Their scenes together are the only ones that come close to feeling any emotion.
• ·         Ben Mendelsohn from The Place Beyond The Pines
• Egypt actually banned this movie from their country because of "historical inaccuracies."

Interesting lines:

• ·         “You can tell a lot about somebody by looking him in the eyes.” – Moses
• ·         “The leader will be saved and the savior will lead.” – Sefora
• ·         “A little venom in your blood is a good thing.  It makes you less vulneravble to the next bite.” – Ramses
• ·         “The men who want power are the best fit to acquire it and the least fit to use it.” – Ramses
• ·         “You have honored me with your trust.  Now I honor you with my faith.”  - Moses

Tips for Parents:

·         Children will get bored in parts, but they may be frightened by bodies being burned and hanged.  There is a lot of fighting, violence, and scenes with disturbing plagues that might also scare your kids...vengeance is a messy thing.

Now, if you want to learn more about the story behind the action, check out some of these: