Book Club puts the sex back into sexagenarian

Movie Title:  
    Book Club

Grade:  B-

Rating: PG-13, 104 minutes

In a Nutshell:  I guess you could say that this movie puts the sex back into the word “sexagenarian", although the majority of the leading ladies are in their 70's and 80's.

Sex is the main focus of this movie which, honestly, disappointed me because this talented cast could have done so much more.  There are so many interesting topics that could have been explored to develop the characters better.

The stellar cast includes four Oscar winners and two nominees: Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Andy Garcia, and Richard Dreyfus.    

Designed for an older viewing crowd, the audience I sat with laughed non-stop, while I mostly rolled my eyes.

                                                 

Tips for parents: 

• Some profanity, crude language, and 1 F-bomb.  As Candice Bergan’s character says in the movie, “Must you always be so crass?”  Exactly.
• TONS of wine.  Someone is drinking wine or some other kind of alcohol in almost every single scene.
• Lots of sex out of wedlock and LOTS of talk about sex, often with metaphors. Just so you know, the four women in the BOOK CLUB read all of the books in the Fifty Shades of Grey series, which is what triggers the focus.  Sharon says, "I'm not sure this qualifies as a book."  Exactly.

Uplifting theme: 

• “Reaching millions of people doesn’t come close to reaching just one you love.” – Arthur (Don Johnson)
• “I know I’m getting older, but I’m still learning and one of the things I’ve learned is that I deserve to be happy.” – Diane (Diane Keaton)
•  Friendship
• Self-esteem
• Love and connection
• The power of books!

                                            

Things I liked:

• I thought Candice Bergan’s character was the most enjoyable and realistic.  As a federal judge, I thought it was cute that she named her cat after Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.  She's 72 in real life.  By the way, have you heard her famous hit TV show Murphy Brown: Season 1 is coming back to TV?  I used to love that show and am excited to see what they do with its revival.
• The food at the ladies’ Book Club gatherings always looked so good.
• Jane Fonda is 80 and looks amazing.  Have you seen her recent TV show Grace And Frankie Season 1 ?  She's really great in it and looks stunning.
• You should read Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.”  It’s great and referred to in the movie.  What do YOU think it means?
• Keep watching the rolling credits at the end for a few more scenes.
• Craig T. Nelson and Mary Steenburgen also played a married couple in the movie The Proposal.  She is only 65, the youngest in the group.  He's 74.
• This was Bill Holderman’s directorial debut.  Hopefully, he’ll bring more older actors and actresses to the Big Screen.  As evidenced by the large audiences I saw for this film on opening day, there is definitely a market there.  Jane Fonda revealed that studio bosses wanted younger stars to play the characters in this movie. Ageism is alive and well in Hollywood.

Things I didn’t like:

• As much as I adore Diane Keaton, and I do, she pretty much plays the same character in all of her movies, including her clothing style with scarves, hats, and pant suits.  She even wore an Annie Hall hat in the pool scene.  It’s like she’s just playing herself in movies.  In fact, her character’s name in this movie is Diane.   Ha ha
• There is such a huge age difference between Ed Begley Jr.'s character and Mircea Monroe's character that it was ridiculous.  I know this is a comedy, but it was just silly.
• This is a true rom-com Chick Flick where all of the men fall all over themselves to please the women (except one). 
• Sometimes it’s annoying when everyone in a movie has unlimited time and money to do whatever they want.
• The second half of the movie really dropped for me. 
• Andy Garcia played Diane Keaton’s nephew in The Godfather, so I thought their ages were unmatched in this film.  In this movie, she says she was born in  1951.  In real life, she was actually born in 1946 and is 72 years old.  Andy Garcia is 62.
• The movie franchise of Fifty Shades of Grey is so pornographic and I’ve never understood how those movies could ever make it to mainstream box offices.  Don Johnson, who is one of the leading men in this movie, is the real-life father of Dakota who stars in those sadistic sex movies.  Gosh, isn’t he proud?
• Blatant brand merchandising always annoys me.  This movie had tons, including Zillow, Bumble, Buca de Beppo, Brooks Brothers, Mercedes, and more.
• Diane Keaton’s character never says “goodbye” when she talks on the telephone.  Do you know people in real life who do that?  So annoying.
• I wanted to see more of Richard Dreyfuss and Wallace Shawn.  They're both so awesome.

Funny lines:

• “The last time she went on a date, she got pregnant.” – Sharon (Candice Bergen)

“I don’t think that’s going to happen this time.” - Vivian (Jane Fonda)
*  "They say that memory is the second thing to go." - Arthur (Don Johnson)
    "What's the first?" - Vivian
    "I don't remember." - Arthur

Interesting lines:

• “Cupid is blind.” – Sharon
• “The choice should be ours.” – Vivian  

                               

                                           @trinaboice

Winners of the 90th Academy Awards

                          

Full of glitz, glamour, talent, and entertainment, the 90th Academy Awards reminded us why we love watching movies so much.  They take us to new places and fill our hearts and minds with wonder. 

So many of the nominees were amazing, so choosing just one winner in each category was almost painful.  Here is the list of all the winners!

Best Picture:

“The Shape of Water” (WINNER)
“Call Me by Your Name”
“Darkest Hour”
“Dunkirk”
“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”
“Phantom Thread”
“The Post”
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Best Actress:

Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (WINNER)
Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Meryl Streep, “The Post”

Best Actor:

Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour” (WINNER)
Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”

Best Director
"The Shape of Water," Guillermo Del Toro (Winner)
“Dunkirk,” Christopher Nolan
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“Phantom Thread,” Paul Thomas Anderson

Best Song

“Remember Me” from “Coco,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez (WINNER)
“Mighty River” from “Mudbound,” Mary J. Blige
“Mystery of Love” from “Call Me by Your Name,” Sufjan Stevens
“Stand Up for Something” from “Marshall,” Diane Warren, Common
“This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman,” Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

Original Score:

“The Shape of Water,” Alexandre Desplat (WINNER)
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” John Williams
“Dunkirk,” Hans Zimmer
“Phantom Thread,” Jonny Greenwood
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Carter Burwell

Cinematography:

“Blade Runner 2049,” Roger Deakins (WINNER)
“Darkest Hour,” Bruno Delbonnel
“Dunkirk,” Hoyte van Hoytema
“Mudbound,” Rachel Morrison
“The Shape of Water,” Dan Laustsen

Original Screenplay:

“Get Out,” Jordan Peele (WINNER)
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Martin McDonagh
“The Big Sick,” Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor

Adapted Screenplay:

“Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory (WINNER)
“The Disaster Artist,” Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
“Logan,” Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
“Molly’s Game,” Aaron Sorkin
“Mudbound,” Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

Live Action Short Film:

“The Silent Child,” Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton (WINNER)
“DeKalb Elementary,” Reed Van Dyk
“The Eleven O’Clock,” Derin Seale, Josh Lawson
“My Nephew Emmett,” Kevin Wilson, Jr.
“Watu Wote/All of Us,” Katja Benrath, Tobias Rosen

Documentary Short Subject:

“Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405,” Frank Stiefel (WINNER)
“Heroin(e),” Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Kerrin Sheldon
“Edith+Eddie,” Laura Checkoway, Thomas Lee Wright
“Knife Skills,” Thomas Lennon
“Traffic Stop,” Kate Davis, David Heilbroner

Film Editing:

“Dunkirk,” Lee Smith (WINNER)
“Baby Driver,” Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss
“I, Tonya,” Tatiana S. Riegel
“The Shape of Water,” Sidney Wolinsky
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Jon Gregory

Visual Effects:

“Blade Runner 2049,” John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd Nefzer (WINNER)
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, Dan Sudick
“Kong: Skull Island,” Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, Mike Meinardus
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Chris Corbould, Neal Scanlan
“War for the Planet of the Apes,” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, Joel Whist

Animated Feature:

“Coco,” Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson (WINNER)
“The Boss Baby,” Tom McGrath, Ramsey Ann Naito
“The Breadwinner,” Nora Twomey, Anthony Leo
“Ferdinand,” Carlos Saldanha
“Loving Vincent,” Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Sean Bobbitt, Ivan Mactaggart, Hugh Welchman

Animated Short:

“Dear Basketball,” Glen Keane, Kobe Bryant (WINNER)
“Garden Party,” Victor Caire, Gabriel Grapperon
“Lou,” Dave Mullins, Dana Murray
“Negative Space,” Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata
“Revolting Rhymes,” Jakob Schuh, Jan Lachauer

Supporting Actress:

Allison Janney, “I, Tonya” (WINNER)
Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”

Foreign Language Film:

“A Fantastic Woman” (Chile) (WINNER)
“The Insult” (Lebanon)
“Loveless” (Russia)
“On Body and Soul (Hungary)
“The Square” (Sweden)

Production Design:

“The Shape of Water,” Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin, Shane Vieau (WINNER)
“Beauty and the Beast,” Sarah Greenwood; Katie Spencer
“Blade Runner 2049,” Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola
“Darkest Hour,” Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
“Dunkirk,” Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis

Sound Mixing:

“Dunkirk,” Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo (WINNER)
“Baby Driver,” Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin
“Blade Runner 2049,” Mac Ruth, Ron Bartlett, Doug Hephill
“The Shape of Water,” Glen Gauthier, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick

Sound Editing:

“Dunkirk,” Alex Gibson, Richard King (WINNER)
“Baby Driver,” Julian Slater
“Blade Runner 2049,” Mark Mangini, Theo Green
“The Shape of Water,” Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Ren Klyce, Matthew Wood

Documentary Feature:

“Icarus,” Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan (WINNER)
“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail,” Steve James, Mark Mitten, Julie Goldman
“Faces Places,” JR, Agnès Varda, Rosalie Varda
“Last Men in Aleppo,” Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed, Soren Steen Jepersen
“Strong Island,” Yance Ford, Joslyn Barnes

Costume Design:

“Phantom Thread,” Mark Bridges (WINNER)
“Beauty and the Beast,” Jacqueline Durran
“Darkest Hour,” Jacqueline Durran
“The Shape of Water,” Luis Sequeira
“Victoria and Abdul,” Consolata Boyle

Makeup and Hairstyling:

“Darkest Hour,” Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick (WINNER)
“Victoria and Abdul,” Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard
“Wonder,” Arjen Tuiten

Supporting Actor:

Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (WINNER)
Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”

2018 Academy Award nominations

Ah, that famous golden man!  The 2018 Academy Awards airs this Sunday night and I can't wait to see who the winners are!  Who do you think will take home the Oscar this year?  Which ones have you seen?  Which ones are you rooting for?

Here is the list of 2018 Oscar nominations:

Best Picture:

“Call Me by Your Name”
“Darkest Hour”“Dunkirk”“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”“Phantom Thread”“The Post”“The Shape of Water”“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Lead Actor:

Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”

Lead Actress:

Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Meryl Streep, “The Post”

Supporting Actor:

Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Supporting Actress:

Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”

Director:

“Dunkirk,” Christopher Nolan“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig“Phantom Thread,” Paul Thomas Anderson“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro

Animated Feature:

“The Boss Baby,” Tom McGrath, Ramsey Ann Naito
“The Breadwinner,” Nora Twomey, Anthony Leo
“Coco,” Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson
“Ferdinand,” Carlos Saldanha
“Loving Vincent,” Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Sean Bobbitt, Ivan Mactaggart, Hugh Welchman

Animated Short:

“Dear Basketball,” Glen Keane, Kobe Bryant“Garden Party,” Victor Caire, Gabriel Grapperon
“Lou,” Dave Mullins, Dana Murray
“Negative Space,” Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata
“Revolting Rhymes,” Jakob Schuh, Jan Lachauer

Adapted Screenplay:

“Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory
“The Disaster Artist,” Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
“Logan,” Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
“Molly’s Game,” Aaron Sorkin
“Mudbound,” Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

Original Screenplay:

“The Big Sick,” Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Martin McDonagh

Cinematography:

“Blade Runner 2049,” Roger Deakins
“Darkest Hour,” Bruno Delbonnel
“Dunkirk,” Hoyte van Hoytema
“Mudbound,” Rachel Morrison
“The Shape of Water,” Dan Laustsen

Best Documentary Feature:

“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail,” Steve James, Mark Mitten, Julie Goldman
“Faces Places,” JR, Agnès Varda, Rosalie Varda
“Icarus,” Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan
“Last Men in Aleppo,” Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed, Soren Steen Jepersen
“Strong Island,” Yance Ford, Joslyn Barnes

Best Documentary Short Subject:

“Edith+Eddie,” Laura Checkoway, Thomas Lee Wright
“Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405,” Frank Stiefel
“Heroin(e),” Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Kerrin Sheldon“Knife Skills,” Thomas Lennon“Traffic Stop,” Kate Davis, David Heilbroner

Best Live Action Short Film:

“DeKalb Elementary,” Reed Van Dyk
“The Eleven O’Clock,” Derin Seale, Josh Lawson
“My Nephew Emmett,” Kevin Wilson, Jr.
“The Silent Child,” Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton
“Watu Wote/All of Us,” Katja Benrath, Tobias Rosen

Best Foreign Language Film:

“A Fantastic Woman” (Chile)
“The Insult” (Lebanon)
“Loveless” (Russia)
“On Body and Soul (Hungary)“The Square” (Sweden)

Film Editing:

“Baby Driver,” Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss
“Dunkirk,” Lee Smith
“I, Tonya,” Tatiana S. Riegel
“The Shape of Water,” Sidney Wolinsky
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Jon Gregory

Sound Editing:

“Baby Driver,” Julian Slater
“Blade Runner 2049,” Mark Mangini, Theo Green
“Dunkirk,” Alex Gibson, Richard King
“The Shape of Water,” Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Ren Klyce, Matthew Wood

Sound Mixing:

“Baby Driver,” Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin
“Blade Runner 2049,” Mac Ruth, Ron Bartlett, Doug Hephill
“Dunkirk,” Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo
“The Shape of Water,” Glen Gauthier, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick

Production Design:

“Beauty and the Beast,” Sarah Greenwood; Katie Spencer
“Blade Runner 2049,” Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola
“Darkest Hour,” Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer“Dunkirk,” Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis
“The Shape of Water,” Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin, Shane Vieau

Original Score:

“Dunkirk,” Hans Zimmer
“Phantom Thread,” Jonny Greenwood
“The Shape of Water,” Alexandre Desplat“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” John Williams
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Carter Burwell

Original Song:

“Mighty River” from “Mudbound,” Mary J. Blige“Mystery of Love” from “Call Me by Your Name,” Sufjan Stevens
“Remember Me” from “Coco,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez
“Stand Up for Something” from “Marshall,” Diane Warren, Common“This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman,” Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

Makeup and Hair:

“Darkest Hour,” Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick“Victoria and Abdul,” Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard
“Wonder,” Arjen Tuiten

Costume Design:

“Beauty and the Beast,” Jacqueline Durran
“Darkest Hour,” Jacqueline Durran
“Phantom Thread,” Mark Bridges
“The Shape of Water,” Luis Sequeira
“Victoria and Abdul,” Consolata Boyle

Visual Effects:

“Blade Runner 2049,” John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd Nefzer
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, Dan Sudick
“Kong: Skull Island,” Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, Mike Meinardus
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,”  Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Chris Corbould, Neal Scanlan
“War for the Planet of the Apes,” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, Joel Whist

The Post shows that the power of the press is still relevant in a day of fake news

Movie Title:      The Post

Grade:  B+

Rating: PG-13,

In a Nutshell: Spielberg, Hanks, Streep.  Powerhouse combination that reminds us why they’re the masters of their trade. 

Surprisingly, this is the first time all three have worked together on a film. 

Oscar bait?  Yeah, probably.  It has already received several nominations by the Golden Globes and National Board of Review.  Is an Academy Award next?  Probably not.  We’ll see.

                                        

Tips for parents: 

• Children and teens will be bored out of their minds.
• Some profanity.
• As more and more traditional newspapers die a slow death due to the internet, kids might think the film is irrelevant, but there is much to be learned about the Constitution as the Pentagon Papers are introduced to this younger generation.  As talk of “fake news” has become a part of everyday conversation, director Steven Spielberg raced to finish this film with unprecedented speed.  Clearly, he thought the content was extremely relevant.  Spielberg thought it was ironic that the pendulum has swung in journalism from ’71 to ’17.

Uplifting theme: 

• Women in  business.  The film is dedicated to a woman, Nora Ephron, who helped  uncover the Watergate scandal in 1972.
• Freedom of the press vs. government security
• “The Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to fulfill its essential role in our democracy.  The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”  Justice Black’s opinion
• Power, politics, truth

                                            

Things I liked:

• I loved how the last scene bleeds into the Watergate scandal.
• Nixon’s actual voice is used when he’s talking from the Oval office.
• Interested in this topic?  You’ll want to see the movie All The President's Men.  In fact, the last scene of this movie is almost shot for shot the same as the first scene in All The President's Men.
• I always get a kick out of Bradley Whitford in everything.
• Usually the comic relief, it was interesting to see David Cross as a serious journalist.

Things I didn’t like:

• The first half of the movie moves very slowly.
• It's a bit heavy-handed.
• It can get confusing with lots of names to try to keep straight.

Funny lines:

• “It must be precious cargo.” – Flight attendant

“Yeah.  It’s just government secrets.” – Bob Odenkirk (Howard Simons)

Interesting lines:

• “The only way to protect the right to publish is to publish.” – Ben Bradlee   (Tom Hanks)
• “I always wanted to be part of a small rebellion.” – Bob Odenkirk
• “Whatever happens tomorrow, we are not a little paper anymore.” – Ben Bradlee 
• “You know what my husband used to say about the newspaper?  He called it the first rough draft of history.” -  Kay Graham  (Meryl Streep)

Other good movies about the freedom and power of the press:

             

                                        @trinaboice

Darkest Hour will probably win Gary Oldman an Oscar

Movie Title:  
DARKEST HOUR based on the book:

Darkest Hour: How Churchill Brought England Back from the Brink

Grade:  A-

Rating: PG-13, 2 hours 5 minutes

In a Nutshell:   With a fascinating protagonist like Winston Churchill, you can hardly go wrong.  

Gary Oldman gives a fantastic performance, the best of his career, and will likely be nominated for an Oscar and probably a win.

 

Uplifting theme: 

• Director Joe Wright explained at the Paris Theater premiere in New York City that this is a film about resistance.
• “Conquer we must, as conquer we shall!” – Winston Churchill
• Strength, courage, tenacity

Things I liked:

• I toured Winston Churchill’s War Room underground in London a couple of years ago and was in awe.  It’s a tourist must for history buffs and fans of Winston Churchill’s leadership.
• I love Lily James in anything.  She’s so lovely and talented and beautiful.
• Kristin Scott Thomas is always wonderful.  What a clever woman Clementine Churchill had to be to handle her husband, and all while gracefully wearing pearls.  It makes you wonder how much more you could do with your life if you had someone like Clementine cheering you on.
• A reminder that even the lowest worker in the ministry played an important role in winning the war.
• Some subtle humor and entertaining dialogue
• There is mention of Dunkirk.  Want to know more about that part of World War II?  Watch the compelling movie and read my movie review of Dunkirk here.
• I loved the subway scene.
• Thrilling speeches that give you rich context to their inspired words.

Things I didn’t like:

• It’s a bit slow and stodgy.
• Sadly, Sir John Hurt died during the filming.  The film was dedicated to him.

Funny lines:

• Be yourself.” – Clementine

“Which self would you like me to be?” – Winston Churchill

• “Are we terribly old?” – Clementine

“Yes, I’m afraid you are.” – Winston

• “Will you stop interrupting me while I am interrupting you?!” – Winston
• “So, this is the Underground!” – Winston when he rides the London Tube for the first time.
• “How old is he?” – Winston, while looking at a baby

“5 months.  He looks like you!” – mother on the subway

“All babies look like me.” - Winston

Interesting lines:

• “It must be late there for you.” – US President on a phone call

“In more ways than you could possibly know.” – Winston

• “You cannot reason with a tiger when your head is in its mouth!” – Winston
• “You are strong because you are imperfect.  You are wise because you have doubts.” – Clementine
• “Lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for.” - Winston
• "Success is not final.  Failure is not fatal.  It is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston

Tips for parents: 

• Children will be bored out of their minds.
• Some profanity.

@trinaboice 

Baby Driver is this summer's surprise blockbuster

Movie Title:  
Baby Driver

Grade:  A

Rating:   R, 113 minutes

In a Nutshell:  This musical masterpiece moves fast and with infectious style.  It’s fresh and furious fun. 

Director Edgar Wright delivers a smart, cool, funny, and brilliant movie.

Uplifting theme: 

• “Everybody wants happiness; nobody wants pain, but you can’t have a rainbow without a little rain.”
• “Do you have a lucky soundtrack?” – Buddy (Jon Hamm)
•  Music, sound, language, love

Things I liked:

• The opening sequence was awesome.  Almost immediately after that is another scene that is pure magic while the opening credits roll.  Pay attention to the graffiti on the walls during that scene for some fun Easter eggs.
• The camera work is amazing.  Perfection.
• The talented cast nails it with fantastic acting.  I liked Ansel Elgort in a lot of his former roles in movies, but I really loved him in this one.  He shines, even among greats like Oscar winners Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx.
• I first fell in love with the lovely Lily James in Cinderella. I'll watch any movie with her in it.
• The action sequences are unbelievable.  I caught myself holding my breath several times.  The stunt team deserves an Oscar.
• The soundtrack is awesome, although has a lot of explicit language. Baby Driver (Music from the Motion Picture) [Explicit].  It’s not just great music, but each song serves a purpose for a specific moment in the film.  I loved that the closing song was Simon & Garfunkel’s Baby Driver.  Of course!  I used to listen to that song all of the time growing up.  I thought that album was awesome.
• This film has GOT to be nominated for an Oscar in sound or mixing or something.  It is noticeably excellent.  There are fantastic rhythms and songs constantly…so much so that some people are actually calling this movie a musical. You’ll be humming and tapping your toes the entire time.  This movie will make you want to dance and drive really fast.
• I’ve heard that there was some CGI, but everything looks super real.
• It’s not predictable.  Thank you!
• It’s not a sequel to anything.  Thank you!
• My father-in-law had Tinnitus and now my husband is getting it.  It’s fascinating how sound, music, and language play such an important part in this movie.  My niece married a man who is deaf, so we’ve all been learning sign language.  It’s used in the movie with subtitles.
• You KNOW Mike Meyers/Austin Powers masks are going to do really well in sales now.
• Great transitions and editing.
• Baby and Deborah almost always wear black and white, while the others in the cast wear color, illustrating that their love is timeless and clear.
• Apparently, Jon Hamm’s role was written just for him.  Jamie Foxx said about Jon Hamm, “He’s too handsome.” 

Things I didn’t like:

• I only saw the trailer once.  That goes to show you that marketing doesn’t make a movie great.  This movie is great with very little marketing.
• I wish we could have heard Lily James sing more!  I love her!

• SPOILER: There didn’t seem to be enough substance in the romance for Deborah to make the choices she did.

Funny lines:

• “Am I  being monitored for quality assurance?” – Deborah (Lily James)
• “This here is JD.  He put the invasion in Asian.” – Doc (Kevin Spacey)
• “Not groovy, JD.  Not groovy at all.” – Bats (Jamie Foxx)
• “I got different ipods for different days and moods.” – Baby

“So you’re in a pink and sparkly mood?” – Deborah

“I am now.” – Baby

• “Have we met?” – bad guy

“Are you alive?” – Bats

“Yeah” – bad guy

“Then I guess we haven’t met.” – Bats

• “You rob to support a drug habit.  I do drugs to support a robbing habit.” – Bats
• “Not a chauffeur.  Note.” – Deborah
• “Don’t ever quote lines from Monsters, Inc..  It ticks me off.” - Doc

Tips for parents: 

• LOTS of profanity and F-bombs in word and song.
• LOTS of violence, shooting, gory deaths, blood.
• You find yourself rooting for criminals.
• Derogatory slurs for policemen.

MOVIE REVIEW MOM

@trinaboice