A Quiet Place is gripping

Movie Title:  
    A Quiet Place

Grade:   A-

Rating: PG-13,
   90 minutes

In a Nutshell:   We all fell in love with John Krasinski when he first appeared in The Office: The Complete Series.  

He has since gone on to show us his action hero chops in movies like 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi and his creativity and humor in "Lip Sync Battle." This is now his third time directing and I'm convinced he will continue to bring us something fresh.

If this movie were a typical talking horror movie, it wouldn’t have been nearly as frightening.  The tension and suspense are magnified in the silence.  #StayQuiet

                                             

Tips for parents: 

• There are a lot of subtitles kids will need to read.
• The alien monsters are pretty scary looking.
• Children are constantly in perilous situations.
• Bloody, dead body.
• You see a pregnant woman's "water" break and later you see blood when she's getting ready to give birth in a bath tub.

Uplifting theme: 

• Family, unity
• Sacrifice
• Resourcefulness

                                                               

Things I liked:

• I loved seeing John Krasinski and his lovely, talented wife Emily Blunt in a movie together.  I can’t wait to see her in the upcoming "Mary Poppins"!
• My niece learned American Sign Language and later married a deaf man who has a cochlear implant, like the one seen in this "silent" movie.  It’s so wonderful to see capable deaf people portrayed in films.  Another movie that puts ASL in the spotlight is "Rampage."  Millicent Simmonds, who plays Regan Abbott, is actually deaf in real life.  This is her second movie; her first was Wonderstruck.
• Yes, you get to see the aliens.
• Every time I saw a trailer for this movie, the audience would get completely silent and you could feel the tension in the theater.  That’s how gripping this movie is.
• More often than not, horror movies have a lot of characters so that people can be killed off.  The result is usually that we don’t care about them.  In this movie, we’re only given one family and we become quickly invested in them.
• I always get annoyed by the dumb choices characters make in horror movies, but this family is pretty smart and has figured out how to live in a silent world.
• I like that this movie starts on Day 89 after the alien invasion happened.  It would have been a much different movie if it had shown Day 1.  Not knowing many details about what happened added to the tension.

                                               

Things I didn’t like:

• It didn’t make sense to me that Regan Abbott would even need a hearing aid in a world where silence is what keeps people alive.  Interestingly, it’s her hearing aid that becomes an important part of the story.
• The viewer is never told where the alien creatures come from.  It appears they simply kill noisy people, rather than eat them.  The little we know about them comes from old newspaper headlines that are hung in the family’s basement and a few TV sound bites.  Fans of this movie are making all kinds of YouTube videos to talk about the details they wish they knew.
• There are some little details that might annoy you, so just don’t worry about them.
• If you watch this in a theater, PLEASE be quiet so that everyone else in the theater can enjoy the quiet experience.

                                     

                                              @trinaboice

Critics are saying good-bye to Aloha

Movie:    Aloha

PG-13, 1 hour 45 minutes

Grade:  C

In a Nutshell:   The cast is a delight to watch: Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, John Krasinski, Alec Baldwin and Bill Murray.  Unfortunately, this RomCom is just too messy.   Most of the characters will frustrate you, as well as the pacing and transitions.  It’s pretty predictable, but yeah, I’m a sucker…the last scene made me tear up a little anyway.

Uplifting Theme:

·         In the beginning of the movie, a kid who is a Hawaiian myth buff (played by Jaeden Lieberher)  announces the theme by asking Colonel “Fingers”, “Are you aware of the so-called ‘Arrival Myth’?  The calendars all say that this week is the return of the playful Hawaiian god “Lono” and he will wreak havoc in the sky with the fire goddess Pele.”

·         “Nothing’s sacred.  It’s all for sale.” – Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper)

·         Bill Murray’s character explains “The future isn’t just something that happens.  It’s a brutal force with a great sense of humor that’ll steam-roll you if you’re not watching.”

·         Islander purity and folktale vs. big business

Things I liked:

·         The movie starts with the sounds and images of old Hawaii, including cultural and military history.  Throughout the movie you get to hear lots of great Hawaiian music and feel the laid-back attitude of the islanders.

·         Emma Stone’s character describes Bradley Cooper’s character by saying “you look into his eyes and it’s like miles of blue.”  I’m pretty sure a lot of other women would agree.

·         Who doesn’t like Alec Baldwin as a fast-talking general?  I first loved him in a military uniform in The Hunt for Red October

·         The unspoken “conversations” between Brian and Woody weres hilarious and awesome.

·         Watching Emma Stone dance with Bill Murray was both funny and disturbing.  She said “I danced with the devil and I liked it.”

Things I didn’t like:

·         It’s pretty insensitive and inappropriate for a spouse to invite an ex over for dinner, don’t you think?  It’s got to be one of the most awkward positions you can put your spouse in, right?  Rachel McAdams’ character seemed too selfish to me by putting her unfinished, romantic past before the needs and happiness of her marriage and family. Yeah, yeah…there’s that “thing”…NO Spoiler alert.

·         Emma Stone’s character is a little too intense and the performance uneven.

·         It might surprise you to know this mediocre movie was written and directed by Cameron Crowe, who brought us box office hits like Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous

Funny lines:

·         “A double espresso.” – Brian

“Good morning Sir!  I’m so jacked for today!”  - Allison Ng

“Make that a triple.” – Brian

·         “Why is dad in places where the war is supposed to be over?” - Grace

“Oh, I don’t know, Sweetie.  That’s why your mom takes long walks.” – Tracy

·         “You’re a workaholic who creates works to avoid real work.” – Tracy

“Well, I’m still working on that.” – Brian

·         “I don’t hook-up; I get deployed.” – Allison Ng

·         “I’d just rather be alone.  Mostly it’s with guys like me.  I just call them ‘alone- togethers.’” – Allison Ng

·         “Happy holidays Bottom-Feeder.” – General Dixon

Interesting lines:

·         I will tell you this for sure.  In its many forms , I have found that nothing beats fun.” – Brian

“Maybe, purpose.”  - Allison Ng

·         “If we can’t look up and see purity or promise, we are finished.” – Allison Ng

Tips for Parents:

·         Young children will be bored with all of the romantic drama.  Teenage girls will get lost in Bradley Cooper’s eyes and the love triangle.

·         There is very little profanity

·         Pre-marital sex,.  You see people kissing and then later, they're in bed.

Other movies by Cameron Crowe: