The Shape of Water is certified fresh

Movie Title:     The Shape of Water

Grade:   A-

Rating: R, 119 minutes

In a Nutshell:   Certified fresh!  This "adult fairy tale" was produced, directed, and written by Guillermo Del Toro.  The film combines a love story with science fiction and Cold War drama.  Some critics have likened it to Beauty And The Beast meets Creature from the Black Lagoon.  It's odd, for sure.

This film has received more Oscar nominations than any other film!  Many of them are technical noms.  We'll see how many they win.

Tips for parents: 

• This movie is rated R for a reason.  It's not appropriate for children's viewing.
• A LOT of full frontal nudity of a woman.  Another woman opens her shirt to reveal her bare chest.
• Woman pleasures herself in a bathtub
• Crude language, F-bombs, and profanity
• You see a married couple have sex.
• You learn sign language for some words.
• Racism
• Homosexuality
• Hypocrisy 
• Hope, compassion, humanity

Uplifting theme: 

• Feeling incomplete and unfulfilled in life and how we fill that void.
• Love can’t be defined.
• Humanity, outsiders
• Friendship, loyalty

Things I liked:

• Sally Hawkins gives a really great performance with no words.  Guillermo Del Toro said that he wrote the movie with only her in mind.  Her character's last name is "Esposito" which is Italian, given to orphaned children, meaning "exposed" or "abandoned."
• Michael Shannon is fantastic, as always.  He successfully makes you hate his guts. 
• The talented ensemble also includes Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, and Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer.
• Some people watch a classic scene from a Shirley Temple movie.  Music and dance play a role in the movie.
• Beautiful production design with incredible colors.  It uses practically every shade of green.
• I loved the Old Hollywood nods to lots of other movies.
• A surprising musical number.
• Doug Jones spent three hours every day to get into his costume.

Things I didn’t like:

• Way too much nudity, awkward sex, and crude language.
• The end is pretty predictable.
• A bit of a creepy love affair.

Interesting lines:

• “He’s not even human.” – Giles (Richard Jenkins)

“If we do nothing, neither are we.” – Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins)

• “Life is but the shipwreck of our plans.” – Daily Thought
• “I’m not a good liar…except Bruster.  It takes a lot of lies to keep a marriage going.” -   Zelda  (Octavia Spencer) 

                                          @trinaboice

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.

Blue Jasmine takes Cate Blanchett to the Golden Globes and Oscar

Movie Title:   

Blue Jasmine

PG – 13, 1 hour 38 minutes

Grade: B+

In a Nutshell:  The best part of this Woody Allen film is the stunning Cate Blanchett, who just won a Golden Globe for this role, as well as an Oscar nomination with buzz of a win.  She plays Jasmine/Jeanette, a wealthy Park Avenue wife whose life unravels, leaving her to discover and reinvent herself. It’s a bit depressing, but darkly funny.  Some people will find some satisfaction in watching a rich snob fall to the bottom of the financial barrel.  Of course, Alec Baldwin is completely believable in his role as a Bernie Madoff type of husband.  Andrew Dice Clay hardly has to act and British actress Sally Hawkins is delightful as Jasmine’s sister Ginger.

Uplifting theme:  It’s a cautionary tale of sorts for women.  Girls, pay attention to your finances; don’t “let” your husband take care of it all.  Be an informed partner.  Jasmine’s brother-in-law Augie said about her “She’s a phony and had to know.”  Did she?  We hear one of Jasmine’s wealthy gal pal’s advise her “Just don’t file a joint tax return.”  Jasmine sighs “I sign anything…I’m very trusting.”  Famous last words.   

Jasmine’s step-son asks “Did you not suspect anything or did you not care?”  Good question.  She turned the other eye at her husband’s dishonest business dealings, but ironically, she drew the line at his cheating.  Jasmine is so delusional that she makes a remark about another man who can’t seem to live without a woman, but in reality, she is the one who can’t live without a man.  She criticizes her sister for choosing to date losers, but Jasmine’s husband Hal is the bigger loser, albeit an extremely wealthy one.

Jasmine said “There’s only so many traumas a person can withstand before you take to the streets and start screaming.”  Perhaps those who judge “crazy” people mumbling on the park bench will now stop to consider what pains and sorrows brought the person to that point.

Things I liked:  Cate Blanchett is simply mesmerizing to watch. Woody Allen is a master at building characters and choosing his leading women.  I loved Jasmine’s gorgeous home on the beach.

Things I didn’t like:  I hated watching women being lied to by married men.  I was surprised that there was nothing interesting to see at the beginning…just rolling names on the screen. I might have panned across beautiful homes of the “rich and famous” or the The Hamptons: Life Behind the Hedges .  Same thing.  The film is a bit messy at times, but I suppose that matches the lives of the people in it.

Funny line:

• “I changed it. Yeah, Jeanette had no panache.”  - Jasmine
• Can you believe I had to move out of my beautiful home and take a place in Brooklyn?”  - Jasmine
• Ginger asks Jasmine “How did you fly First Class” and Jasmine answers “I don’t know.  I just did.”
• “I suppose I’m going to have to invite them to my birthday party now.” – Jasmine
• “Tomorrow I’m definitely taking the day off. I’ve neglected everything: my yoga, my pilates…”  - Jasmine

• “Not bad taste for a Philistine businessman.”  - Hal when he gives Jasmine an expensive bracelet”

• “Nurses are hot to go to bed with.” – Ginger’s new boyfriend
• “They say every year millions of brain cells just die off.” – Jasmine as she throws back a glass of alcohol
• “He’s sexy and he doesn’t steal.” – Ginger
• “Edison’s Medicine – because they use electricity to get you thinking straight again.” - Jasmine

Things to look for: 

• The way she treats people in the service industry at the beginning.
• The “infinity pool” in her backyard
• Jasmine checks her watch when Ginger & Augie come to visit
• Jasmine’s gigantic diamond wedding ring

Tips for parents:

This is really not a movie for children.  The film is a character study with no action.  In other words, they’ll be bored to death.  Some profanity, but no F-bombs.  Some sexual discussions and a terrifically awkward groping scene with a pathetic dentist.