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In a Nutshell: Based on The Mountain Between Us: A Novelthis dramatic romance with a survival backdrop
features two great actors: award-winning Kate Winslet and Idris Elba.
Uplifting theme:
Love
Hope
Things I liked:
Winslet and Elba offer solid acting.
Some
say the melodramatic ending is corny, but I liked it.
Call me a hopeless romantic.
The cinematography sets up great shots in the beautiful mountains.
Things I didn’t like:
There’s
no way to tell how much time has passed on their journey, other than when Kate Winslet’s
character tells us.
As far
as a survival movie goes, they easily happen upon food and shelter, so
there’s no feeling of desperation. I kept imagining the actors sitting in a warm camper, drinking hot cocoa right before each scene they did.
There's not a lot of character development.
The romance feels forced and then rushed. Some would call that a lack of chemistry.
Funny line: * "It would be funny if you weren't really a doctor." - Alex "Why would that be funny?" - Ben "Because you'd be doing all this just to see my fancy underwear." - Alex "They're not that fancy." - Ben
Tips for
parents:
Pre-marital "relations".
Some profanity.
Some perilous situations.
Kids will like the dog, but probably be a little bit bored.
In a Nutshell: I write marketing reports for movie theaters and
have felt terrible for Dunkirk the past few months, because their trailers
almost always elicited ZERO response from the audiences. Well, audiences are speaking VERY loudly
now. They LOVE Christopher Nolan’s
newest film, Dunkirk, based on the true WWII story.
If you can see it in 70mm on an IMAX, do it. Christopher Nolan went to great lengths to
make sure that his movie was as accurate as possible. The details are impressive. With thousands of
Extras on the beach, this film is epic.
The director’s goal was to create an immersive
experience. That it is.
Uplifting theme:
“Hope
is a weapon. Survival is victory.”
Human
resolve
Things I liked:
With
real planes, real locations, and hundreds of Extras. Everything looked and FELT real.
Technically,
it is awe-inspiring. Do I smell an
Oscar?
Hans Zimmer's sound track is explosive and riveting, filled with intensity almost the
entire time. Zimmer used Christopher Nolan's watch to get the ticking sound that fills the movie.
I
really liked the trailer tagline: “When 400 soldiers couldn’t get home, home
came for them.”
Teenage
girls and fans of One Direction will be thrilled to watch Harry Styles as
Alex.
SPOILER: I LOVED what Peter (Tom Glynn-Carney) did
for Cillian Murphy’s character at the end.
I would hope that my 4 sons would have that kind of character and
compassion. That small moment was
extremely touching for me.
I know
a water scene is good when it makes me hold my breath.
Rather than focus on big battle movements, the film takes it to a personal level and shows you how war affects the individual.
Things I didn’t like:
You
don’t really get to know any of the characters and develop a strong
connection. The film’s action
reminded me of Saving Private Ryan, yet that film carried so much more
weight and emotional pull on my heart because of the character
development. It's my all-time favorite war movie. You’re not given any
backstories in this film, however, and there are no quiet scenes where characters talk about
their lives.
Because
of everyone’s thick accents, you can’t understand everything that’s said.
I probably missed a good 20% of the dialogue.
I
thought it was interesting that Tom Hardy would want a role like
this. He played Farrier, a pilot
whose face was completely covered almost the entire time. He only had 10 lines during the entire movie.
My 17
year old son, surprisingly, said he thought the movie was a little slow.
The film runs almost in real time.
SPOILER: We see only a few small boats coming to
the rescue, but in reality, the number was closer to 700. Nolan used 50 boats on the water, which is actually more than used in any other film.
I wish
I could have seen a map to better understand where everything was
located. Here’s one:
Interesting lines:
“He’s
shell-shocked George. He’s not
himself. He may never be himself
again.” – Mr. Dawson (Mark Rylance)
“Well
done.” – old, blind British man
“All we did was survive.” – Tommy (Fionn
Whitehead)
“That’s enough.” – old guy
“There’s
no hiding from this, son.” – Mr. Dawson
“What
do you see?” – Colonel Winnant (James D’Arcy)
This
war movie is intense with MANY moments of life or death.
Despite
the high body count, it isn’t super bloody and gory like Saving Private Ryan.
There
was a surprising lack of profanity.
I thought I heard an F-bomb, but because the accents were so thick,
I can’t honestly say that’s what the word was.
Want to learn more about this part of history in World War II? Check out some of these:
Grade: Special effects = A, Plot = C, Dialogue = C
In a Nutshell: There
are a lot of moving rocks in this movie, but the best one is Dwayne “The Rock”
Johnson who is so big and strong that he could probably pull California’s
tectonic plates together single-handedly.
Seriously, the guy is gigantic and just doggone fun to watch. You get to see him rip a door right off of a
car, as well as a bunch of other life-saving stunts.
His box office draw is also huge: this film
took in $53.2 million dollars opening weekend, completely crushing the
competition.
Pay a little extra to see this one in 3D. The CGI team was incredible. I remember when the 1974 Earthquake
movie
came to a new theater near my house when I was a little girl. The theater boasted that you could feel the
shaking. I could and was immediately
addicted to disaster movies.
If you want that same experience, upgrade to IMAX. If you’d rather save money, have your buddy
sit next to you and bump into you every 3 minutes while you watch this silly
popcorn flick.
Uplifting Theme:
·Be prepared! Paul
Giamatti plays a professor at Cal Tech who is researching earthquakes. He tells his class “It’s not a matter of IF,
but WHEN.” Later he laments “No one
listens to us until the ground shakes.”
Sadly, that’s true. You need to
start preparing now. It wasn’t raining
when Noah built the ark…
·SPOILER ALERT:
There is a moment at the end of the movie where you see an American flag
unfurl to show off the great American spirit and resolve a la post-9/11. One character asks “So, what now?” Another person states “Now we rebuild.”
·We have to help each other. In the movie, in order to survive, the
characters have to move to higher ground.
That’s not just physically-speaking.
We need to be better and kinder to one another.
Things I liked:
·I get a kick out of Paul Giamatti, who
consistently gives us good performances.
I’m currently watching his mini-series John Adams
and recommend it to
anyone who wants to learn more about one of America’s Founding Fathers and
presidents.
·The beautiful Alexandra Daddario plays Blake,
The Rock’s daughter and the eye candy for the film. Her acting and looks are more mature than when
we last saw her in Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief
.
·Did you notice the purple trees surrounding the
buildings at California Institute of Technology? They must have taken those aerial shots over
the campus last spring when the Jacaranda trees were in bloom. Beautiful. Why would I even notice that? Hey, I live in the desert in Las Vegas and
notice anything that blooms! Notice the heart necklace floating in water at the very beginning. It’s important.
·If you’re a disaster freak, you get to see
earthquakes, fires, and even a Tsunami.
Sorry, no plagues or pestilence.
·I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, so it
was fun to see some of my old stomping grounds, although I wasn’t happy to see
most of them destroyed! Here’s a picture
I took of Coit Tower when I visited there with my parents a couple of years
ago. It’s featured as one of the
landmarks in the movie.
Things I didn’t like:
·Product placement in movies always kind of
annoys me. I had to snicker when every
single student in Lawrence’s college classroom owned a Mac.
·Super dramatic music. The movie takes itself very seriously.
·I seriously wanted to shave Paul Giamatti’s
scraggly beard. Hey, I saw this movie in
IMAX, so those fly-away facial hairs were all over the place!
·I have to admit that some of the material was
pretty ridiculous.
Funny lines:
·“It’s been awhile since I got you to 2nd
base.” – Ray says to Emma while they’re standing in San Francisco’s famous
AT&T baseball stadium
·“Elgin, if you move any faster, you’re going to
break a hip.” – Ray
·“Contrary to popular belief, scientists don’t
know everything.” - Lawrence
·“I can’t wait to be 20.” – Ollie, as he watches his big brother kiss a beautiful
girl
·“Who wants an A in an independent study class I’m
starting: “how to hack media outlets!”?
- Lawrence
·“If you’re not already dead, I’m going to F-n
kill you!” – Emma (Carla Gugino)
Tips for Parents:
·The PG-13 rating is for intense disaster
sequences, a pretty high body count, and, as you can imagine, a lot of people
swearing as they try to survive the death and destruction. Most of the profanity is when people say “OMG”
when they realize how serious a situation is, but Emma (the mom) gets the honor
of dropping the only F-bomb in the movie because she’s ticked off that someone
hurt her daughter. Hey, you don’t mess
with mama bears.
·The college professor gives you a short history
of the biggest earthquakes in the history of the world at the beginning of the movie. Did you know the largest earthquake in North
America was a gigantic 9.1 in Alaska?
Prepper tips based on this movie:
·Be married to a hulk of a man who has easy
access to a helicopter to save you.
·“You need to drop, cover, and hold on because
your life is going to depend on it.” - Lawrence
·Learn how to hotwire a car
·You need a plan
·“Every city has a tactical channel.” - Blake
(Get yourself a ham radio or GMRS radio so you can communicate with your
loved ones when the cell towers are down.)
·Learn to run fast. Surviving a disaster involves lots of
running.
·Learn CPR and First Aid. When your loved ones are hurt, you’re going
to wish you knew how to help them.
·Don’t wear flip flops before disaster
strikes. Ha ha (Both leading ladies are conveniently wearing
boots.)
·Don’t text and drive.
·Know what the threats are to the city in which
you live. I live in Las Vegas where
people were completely shocked when we had a 4.8 earthquake last weekend. The city sits on SEVERAL fault lines! If you want to see where the most recent
earthquakes hit in the world TODAY, go to http://earthquaketrack.com/recent
SPOILER ALERT: Hoover Dam is completely
destroyed in the movie, which is pretty spectacular to watch, but not something
I hope ever happens. I just drove across
that amazing bridge last weekend on my way to visit my son in Arizona! It’s so high and scary! It snapped like a toothpick in about 2
seconds in the movie after a 7.1 earthquake.
EEK! I hope it takes a much
bigger earthquake than that to crumble the surrounding area. Fun fact: Alexandra Daddario pronounces the state
of Nevada incorrectly in the movie….it’s not Nevoda people!
·Know how to commandeer an airplane and boat.
·Keep a map of your city on you. Nope, the cell phone navigator probably won’t
work.
In a Nutshell: This is an inspiring, true story that
features the strength of the human spirit against all odds.Director Angelina Jolie was
so taken with Lauren Hillenbrand’s best-selling novel, that she felt compelled
to bring it to the big screen.The story is fascinating, but the viewing
is exhausting and heart-wrenching.
Uplifting Theme:
·The end of the movie reminds us that “the way
forward is not revenge, but forgiveness.” In fact, the movie leaves out 2 extremely important chapters of the book that reveal the challenges Louis Zamperini faced when he returned home. Check out this inspiring video that tells the rest of the story.about the power of forgiveness.
·“If you can take it, you can make it.” – Louis’
brother, Pete
Things I liked:
·The main actors dieted for months to appear as
their characters would have looked after surviving 47 harrowing days on a raft
in the ocean. They lost even more weight in the
prisoner of war camps. That’s dedicated
acting.
·The casting was very good. Young Louis looked just like the older Louis.
·The audience laughed when the starving soldiers
on the raft punched a fish and a shark in order to eat them. There were a few moments of subtle humor, but
otherwise, this film is extremely sobering.
It should make you hesitate before complaining about anything again.
·The cinematography of Roger Deakins (True Grit
and Skyfall
) is very well done. Some of the vistas were extraordinary.
·I always appreciate it at the end of a true
story when the audience is shown how things ended up years later.
·Jack O’Connell (Louis Zamperini) did an
outstanding job. Takamasa Ishihara was
so believably cruel as Watanabe that the audience cringed every time he
appeared on the screen.
Things I didn’t like:
·The film is pretty long and your heart can’t
take much more. You feel like you’ve
been punched in the gut, although your spirit soars with hope as you watch
Louis stand up each time he falls. Angelina Jolie chooses to spend 2 hours
focusing on how Louis was tortured in various ways and very little time showing
us more about his character development.
·I’m sad that the real Louis Zamperini died right
before the movie came out. What an
amazing man he was. I’m especially
impressed that he returned to Japan to face his tormentors and forgive them.
·As inspiring as the story is, there should have
been more powerful and emotional moments in the telling.
Inspiring lines:
·“A moment of pan is worth a lifetime of glory.” –
Pete
·“Here’s the plan…you go on living the best you
can and try to have some fun along the way. – Phil
·“We beat them by making it to the end of the war
alive.” – Blackie
·“It is necessary to have respect. No respect, no order.” - Watanabe
·“I’m glad it’s you. “ – Phil
“I’m glad it’s me too.” - Louis
Tips for Parents: There are intense sequences of brutality
and violence, as well as some charred bodies in one scene in particular. There is some profanity, but not much,
especially considering this is a war movie.
People used to call Italian immigrants WASPS and DAGOS. After the movie, you can talk to your kids
about bullying and name calling.
To learn more about the amazing life of Louis Zamerini, check out the following items:
In
a Nutshell: It’s
very touching to watch the lives of these “Lost Boys” (and girls) from Sudan
unfold. I wanted to adopt them all. It’s
truly heart-breaking what they had to endure to survive, walking hundreds of
miles barefoot in search of safety and meaning. I love that some of the actors
were actually “Lost Boy” refugees themselves. You get to see their pictures at
the end of the movie.
The title of this simple, yet uplifting movie comes from a phrase in Mark
Twain’s book Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
.” A night
school teacher asks her class what it means.
One of the students responds “Huck uses lies to survive in undesirable
situations.” But the lies change later
in the story. Mamere offers insight by explaining that the lies change because
Huck changes. “When he tells the slave
hunters that he has no slaves, his lie is credible, so he lies well. But what is more important is that it is an
unselfish lie that saves Jim. Jim’s
freedom means more to him than the money he would get for turning him in, so it
is a good lie.” Before the end of the
movie, there are several “good lies” that will both break and warm your heart.
Things
I liked:
· The camera lingers on the actors’ faces
so you can watch their emotions develop layers.
·I thought it was really cute when the
young men from Sudan discovered the “Why did the chicken cross the road” joke
and kept laughing about it later.
·I thought the movie was understated,
especially considering the profoundly touching and powerful subject matter. Reese Witherspoon's character and role is also muted by the colorful story of the Lost Boys.
Things
I didn’t like:
·I enjoyed the movie very much. What I didn’t like was seeing some of the
ugly sides of humanity. The world is
full of horror and beauty. One of the
great challenges in life is to focus on the good and create more of it to
outweigh the bad.
·It would have been interesting to see
more of how they lived in the refugee camp in Kenya for so many years.
Funny
lines:
·“Your survival skills are most
impressive.” - Mamere
“Um…thanks.”- Carrie
·“May you find a husband to fill your
empty heart and home.” – Mamere
“I’ll work on that.”- Carrie
·“Man, I wish they wouldn’t do that.” - Jack
(when he sees the Sudanese young men holding hands)
Interesting
lines:
·“I miss Sudan.” - Jeremiah
“Why?”- Carrie
“Because in Sudan you know what a
lion looks like.”- Jeremiah after
dealing with a boss he disagrees with
·The movie ends with this line: “If you
want to go fast, go alone. If you want
to go far, go together.” - African
Proverb
Tips
for Parents:
·Some stupid, lazy Americans introduce
one of the sweet Sudanese young men to drugs.
·It may be too slow-moving for young
children, but teens can learn a lot about values, honor, Sudan, humanitarian
aid, war, and sacrifice for others.
·This film will make you want to do more.
Your family may want to discuss how you
can help other refugees. There are many
organizations online that you can look into, as well as local churches that offer
aid to those in camps abroad and who have recently arrived in America.
A lot of Americans get angry about all of the money and energy that is spent helping people abroad, especially when there are so many people in our own country who need help. After you watch this movie, you'll be grateful that the good ole USA has done something to help ease suffering in the world. It's an interesting and important question: Should we use our resources to help those outside our own boundaries and problems? If we don't, who will?
To learn more about the refugee children of Sudan, check out these interesting stories:
this dramatic romance with a survival backdrop
features two great actors: award-winning Kate Winslet and Idris Elba.
this dramatic romance with a survival backdrop
features two great actors: award-winning Kate Winslet and Idris Elba.
as
Alex.
and thought he was adorable in 
.
, yet that film carried so much more
weight and emotional pull on my heart because of the character
development. It's my all-time favorite war movie. You’re not given any
backstories in this film, however, and there are no quiet scenes where characters talk about
their lives.
movie
came to a new theater near my house when I was a little girl. The theater boasted that you could feel the
shaking. I could and was immediately
addicted to disaster movies.
If you want that same experience, upgrade to IMAX. If you’d rather save money, have your buddy
sit next to you and bump into you every 3 minutes while you watch this silly
popcorn flick.
and recommend it to
anyone who wants to learn more about one of America’s Founding Fathers and
presidents.
.
and 
) is very well done. Some of the vistas were extraordinary.
.” A night
school teacher asks her class what it means.
One of the students responds “Huck uses lies to survive in undesirable
situations.” But the lies change later
in the story. Mamere offers insight by explaining that the lies change because
Huck changes. “When he tells the slave
hunters that he has no slaves, his lie is credible, so he lies well. But what is more important is that it is an
unselfish lie that saves Jim. Jim’s
freedom means more to him than the money he would get for turning him in, so it
is a good lie.” Before the end of the
movie, there are several “good lies” that will both break and warm your heart.