Lion will break your heart and then warm it

Movie Title:    Lion

Grade:  A-

Rating:   PG-13

In a Nutshell:  Adapted from the book A Long Way Home: A Memoir , this inspiring true story will break your heart and then warm it.  

Most people missed this film when it came to theaters (including me), but now that it has received 6 Academy Award nominations, everyone is talking about it (including me)!

Uplifting theme: 

• What incredibly selfless love people give when they adopt children, especially the street children from poor countries.  Over 80,000 children go missing in India each year.  You can learn more about the movement that has started because of this movie at www.lionmovie.com
• Determination, love, courage, home, family, blood, bonds, heritage, adoption

Things I liked:

• Beautiful cinematography.  Greig Fraser (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Zero Dark Thirty) uses a child’s perspective to film surrounding areas and provide a sense of wonder.
• Three cheers for Google Earth!
• The love of Sue (Nicole Kidman) and John (David Wenham) for their adopted children was so sweet.  I got teary eyed almost every time Sue was with her sons.
• You don’t learn the touching reason why the movie is called Lion until the very end of the movie.
• Dev Patel plays the grown-up Saroo with the absolutely adorable Sunny Pawar playing the young Saroo.
• What makes the movie even more powerful is knowing that it’s a true story.  You get to see real footage of when Sue meets Saroo’s biological mother just three years ago in 2014.
• As an instructor at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary College, I thought it was fascinating that it was food that suddenly brought memories back to Saroo about his childhood.
• I enjoyed learning more about India and its culture. We also get to visit Australia in the movie.

Things I didn’t like:

• SPOILER:  It made me so sad that no one would help Saroo in the train station.  Poor thing.  I just wanted to hug him tightly and give him something to eat.
• The beginning and end were really great, but it starts to drag in the middle when Saroo grows up and gets depressed and mopey before taking action.
• Some of the editing was choppy.
• When you first see Nicole Kidman in that wig, you think, “What the heck?”, but then, when you see the real Sue at the end of the movie, you think, “Oh, Ok.”

Interesting lines:

• “You weren’t just adopting us, but our past as well.” – Saroo
• ‘I really hope she’s there.  She needs to see how beautiful you are.” – Sue 

Tips for parents: 

• There are subtitles in the first half of the movie and again in the end.
• Pre-marital relations.
• Your children will see some extreme poverty and, hopefully, be grateful for what they have.

@trinaboice 

Genius is for book lovers

Movie Title:    Genius

Grade:  A-

Rating:  PG-13, 104 minutes

In a Nutshell:  

I'm an official book nerd, so I really liked this movie. 

As an author of 21 published books, I was fascinated with the working relationship between the 20th-century "genius" writer Thomas Wolfe and his famous book editor Maxwell Perkins.  

Based on the biography “Max Perkins: Editor of Genius” by A. Scott Berg, this stylish film is beautifully shot and has some gorgeous vignettes in almost every scene.

In a summer full of remakes and loud explosions, this period piece will hit you in the heart, not over the head.  It was fascinating to watch Thomas Wolfe and his editor create better sentences together. As you watch the film unfold, ask yourself: Which man was the true genius?

Uplifting theme: 

• “Human beings aren’t fiction.” – Aline Bernstein (Nicole Kidman)
• I loved the conversation Tom and Max had about the importance of stories.  Tom saw the people struggling during the Great Depression in America and decided that what he wrote was trivial in comparison to what they were dealing with in their lives.  Max explained that in the beginning of time, when people would gather around the fire at night to get protection from the howling wolves around them, someone would begin to talk and tell a story.  The stories gave them comfort so they wouldn’t be afraid of the dark.  Tom puts his head on Max's shoulder and breathes a sigh of gratitude and understanding.  Sweet moment.
• The creative process is messy!
• Words are powerful things.
• Transformative relationships and friendships.

Things I liked:

• For those who are unfamiliar with Thomas Wolfe, you’ll get to hear snatches of some of his beautiful work.
• Jude Law gives an excellent performance.
• It was fun to watch Max interact with other famous writers he discovered like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway.
• There are some really clever, funny, insightful conversations.
• The cast is absolutely terrific: Colin Firth, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Laura Linney, Guy Pearce, Dominic West.
• The musical score was very understated, yet extremely powerful when it needed to be.  Nice job.
• It’s hard to show someone writing on paper look exciting on the Big Screen, but it works in this stirring film.
• It was fun to watch Max's family listening to the radio in the 1920’s with everyone gathered in the family room, on the couches, on the floor, letting their imaginations run wild.
• Director Michael Grandage is a Tony Award winner who is now bringing his magic to the movies.  Welcome!
• John Logan is an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter who brought us Gladiator, The Aviator, Hugo, and Skyfall.  I loved all of those films.

Things I didn’t like:

• Max wears his hat indoors and outdoors, in almost every scene he is in.  Am I missing some kind of deep symbolism?  Was it supposed to illustrate his own quirky mania that each of his writers possessed?
• The movie uncovers the inner turmoil that some of the greatest writers of the early 20^th century endured.  Most popcorn-crunching, action-seeking audiences won’t be able to sit through such a movie. 
• Watching this movie may feel a little bit like reading one of Thomas Wolfe's books...long winded, but worth the effort.
• Some viewers describe the relationship between Tom and Max as a bromance, but it's more of a father/son relationship that is complicated like normal father/son relationships.
• The movie poster could have been so much more compelling.

Interesting lines:

• “It’s not the page count that matters; it’s the storytelling.” – Max
• “I hate to see the words go!” – Thomas
• “They’re working girls.  It doesn’t count.” – Tom
• “Yes, Tom.  It does.” – Max
• “Editors should be anonymous.” – Max
• “That’s what makes editors lose sleep.  Are we really making books better?  Or are we just making them different?” – Max Perkins
• “I don’t exist anymore.  I’ve been…edited.” –  Aline Bernstein
• “Enjoy the time with Tom.  Because after him, there is a great hush.” – Aline Bernstein
• “Am I supposed to grow up like you?” – Tom

“No, Tom.  But you’re supposed to grow up.” - Max

Funny lines:

• “Good that Tolstoy never met you!  We’d have that great novel ‘War and Nothing.’" - Thomas

Tips for parents:   

• Children and most teens are going to be bored.
• Thomas Wolfe is a loud and obnoxious drunk during most of the movie.  In one scene, he kisses some "working girls."

Secret In Their Eyes has satisfying and creepy double twist at the end

Movie:    Secret in their Eyes

Rating:    PG-13, 1 hour 51 minutes

Grade:   B-

In a Nutshell:   The source material is an Argentine crime thriller that won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009.  (“El Secreto De Sus Ojos”).  Despite its talented cast and Julia Roberts’ stellar performance, this remake isn't as good as the original and probably won’t win any awards.   Joining Roberts is Nicole Kidman, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dean Norris, and Alfred Molina.

It’s a disturbing movie that is dark, sad and depressing.  You leave the theater thinking “Ew” and “Oh” and “Ah” all at the same time.

Uplifting Theme:

·         Revenge doesn’t bring peace.

·         Does the end justify the means?
      Blood is thick.  A mother's love is thicker.

·         “Passions are like maps.  Passion always wins.” – Jess

Things I liked:

·         Ray (Chiwetel Ejiofor) tells Jess (Julia Roberts) that she looks like she’s a million years old.  She really does.  You can physically see the weight and pain she has worn for 13 years after her daughter was murdered.   Julia Roberts looks old, tired, and even...dare I say it... average.  Now, that’s good acting by a beautiful actress!

·         Julia’s heart-felt cries at her daughter’s crime scene were extremely believable and compelling.  I could hear soft whimpers and sobs in the audience during that entire emotional unraveling.

·         I love movie titles that make you think, although I think even more could have been done with this one.

·         Did you notice the piano outside the house with drinks on it?  What a fun idea for a night-time party….hard on the piano, though, unless you live in clear skies Los Angles, where the movie takes place.

·         There is some subtle humor that helps cut the tension every now and then.

·         I just taught my college students the word “predilection” the very day I saw this movie in the theater, so I was pleased to hear Jess use it in a sentence.  (Hint:  It means a preference or partiality for something.)

·         Cool camera views over Dodger Stadium. 

·         Good for Chiwetel Ejiofor for having two movies out in theaters at the same time!  (Hint:  The other one is The Martian.)

      SPOILER ALERT:  I love the double twist at the end.  Creepy though, yet satisfying.
      I don't know if it was intentional or not, but the movie poster looks like a woman's view from her burka. There is a Muslim element in the film with the crime scene taking place just outside a mosque and some discussion about the post-9/11 fear towards Islam.

Things I didn’t like:

·         Writer and director Billy Ray thought mixing up the original story would give it a sense of urgency.  Wrong.  The movie lunges from present day back to the past, sometimes making it confusing to keep the timeline straight.  It’s often difficult to find clues to help you quickly ascertain which of the two decades you are seeing, as the background and even clothing are the same.  The result is a messy mix with bad transitions that don’t flow and a confused audience.

·         It’s a bit slow-moving.

Funny lines:  

·         “They teach you some version of ‘Yes, Sir!’ at the Bureau, don’t they?”  - Martin Morales (Alfred Molina)

·         “You really are an idiot….medically.” – Jess

·         “Harvard law doesn’t date community college.  Stop hitting on my new hire.” – Martin Morales

Tips for Parents:

·         This is not a family entertainment film, especially for young children.  The theme is very dark.

·         Some profanity, death, unpleasant images, and violence.

Paddington's warmth and charm make it from paper to the silver screen

Movie:  Paddington

PG, 1 hour 35 minutes

Grade: B+

In a Nutshell: This family-friendly tale begins with an amusing background story that sets the humor and tone for the film, which is based on the popular children’s books by Michael Bond.  Paddington bear is made entirely out of CGI and successfully exudes the warmth and charm his character is known for.

It feels very British and has some of the magical wit brought to us by the producers of the hugely successful Harry Potter movies.  Its tumble-of-fun action sequences are perfect for small children. Parents will be mildly entertained too.

Uplifting Theme:

·         Families stick together…with marmalade or without.

·         Families come in all shapes and sizes.   “Mrs. Brown says that in London everyone is different, but that means anyone can fit in.” – Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw)

Things I liked:

·         I loved how Paddington literally steps into a film, entering into a new world.  That’s what movies do for me and why I love them so much.

·         Great aerial and street views of London.  I’m going there in June with the fam!  So excited!

·         I love their spiral staircase in the Brown’s home.

·         I thought Mrs. Brown, the mother, (Sally Hawkins) was very sweet and optimistic.  She turns to jelly when Mr. Brown does something heroic.  Don’t all wives want to admire their husbands for great acts of courage and kindness?

·         I love how the flowers on the painted tree mural reacted to news.

·         Millicent calls the Natural History Museum “a cathedral of knowledge.”  True.

·         Some of the transitions were pretty clever, such as the doll house view of the Brown’s home at the end.

Things I didn’t like:

·         The bathroom scene when Paddington was “freshening up” after his travels was disgusting and messy, but evoked lots of squeals of delight from the young audience members.

·         The humor is pretty juvenile, although there are some funny lines that will go over children’s heads.

Interesting tidbits:

·         The fictional train station “Westbourne Oak” is actually the Maida Vale station.  Look closely and you’ll see the name clearly written on the red tiles.

Funny lines:

·         “Embarrassing, but tasty.” – Uncle Pastuzo (voiced by Michael Gambon)

·         “A wise bear always keeps a marmalade sandwich in his hand in case of emergency.” - Uncle Pastuzo

·         Seven percent of childhood accidents start with jumping.”  - Mr. Brown

·         “Stranger danger.  Keep your eyes down.  There’s a bear over there, probably trying to sell something.” – Mr. Brown (Hugh Bonneville)

·         “Grizzly?  Not particularly.  Mind you, I haven’t seen him in the morning.” – Mr. Brown while on the phone with the insurance agency to add coverage for the bear on the first night

·         “I gave up being surprised when they came up with the microwave oven.” – Mrs. Bird

·         “That was amazing.” – Jonathan Brown (Samuel Joslin)

·         “In one hundred yards, bare left.”  - Andre the Thief looks up and sees Paddington bear on his left

·         “It’s a hard stare.  My aunt taught me to do them when people have forgotten their manners.” - Paddington

Tips for Parents:

·         The villain (Nicole Kidman as Millicent) is a woman who wants to kill and stuff Paddington to keep in a museum.

·         There is an odd, sexual innuendo interaction between Mr. Brown and the guard of the archives in the museum.

·         Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters) gets a guard drunk.