Circumstance

Circumstance is a beautiful movie about a love in a society that would not allow it under any, well circumstances. Written and directed by Maryam Keshavarz, helming her first full length feature film, Circumstance is a good film though disjointed at times. It may lose you at some points as you try to figure what's going on and where the characters are in the story. You'll feel disconnected from the story but not the performances which hold this movie together in amazing ways.

The first thing you'll notice is the unbelievable beauty of the co-leading actresses Nikohl Boosheri who plays Atafeh and Sarah Kazemy who plays Shireen. Then you would not believe this is the first time either of them has ever done any acting. They seemed so at ease in front of the camera, especially with some of the scenes these young ladies were asked to pull off. For that you have to credit the director and Maryam apparently created a very comfortable set. The ladies are joined by Reza Sixo Safai who plays Mehran, the brother of Shireen who comes home fresh off a stint from rehab.

Atafeh and Shireen are schoolmates, best friends, and without a doubt are in love with each other in a world where that is so not allowed. They could be killed for how they feel about each other and there are times during the movie where you fear for the young ladies lives. While they play with fire, Mehran is coming to grips of his spirituality at his local Mosque. It is there where he finds a spiritual guide and it couldn't have been a more detrimental move to the friendship of Atafeh and Shireen's friendship.

In a society where the men have ALL the power and what they command must be obeyed the woman live in constant fear but it's not just them. The youth are also constantly watched and spied upon by the "Morality Police" and it's that division of the police force that arrests the girls who have left one of the many underground parties that seemingly happen all over Iran. It's this moment plus Mehran taking full advantage of this opportunity that takes the final act of this movie into the realm of heartbreak. It also forces one young lady to make a decision about her future and where she should live her life.

The music by Gingger Shankar, while no newcomer to being involved with movie scores herself is forgettable. That could be due however to the love story unfolding in front of you. That being said, there are other moments during the film where a really good score could have made a powerful impact. The ball was dropped on that front sadly. There wasn't much to see as far as scenery goes either but that's not why you choose this movie to see. You choose this movie to move you, to open your eyes, to make you realize just how good you have it, to realize just how lucky you are. We are all lucky that Maryam Keshavarz got the chance to make her film. I for one recommend it highly and I'll see you at the theater.

Colombiana

Anyone who knows anything about Luc Besson knows he's a man that loves automatic weapons and stealth like killers. He's also fond of portly white men posing as bad guys, I don't know why. I guess he likes the image of them on the screen begging for their lives but I digress. In the case of his latest production Colombiana starring the incredibly talented and beautiful Zoe Saldana as Cataleya Restrepo you get not only automatic weapons, stealth like killers, and portly white men but you also get Zoe in a body suit. You also get her in various states of undress so if you're going to see this movie because she's in almost every frame of the movie then you won't be disappointed.

Directed by Olivier Megaton who is helming his second English speaking film, his first was Transporter 3 does a pretty good job. Though I would say if the lead was portrayed by anyone other than Zoe, this movie falls completely apart. The story, written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen is weak at best and I think they knew that which is why producer Luc Besson sought out Zoe Saldana to be in this movie. He apparently felt she was the only one that could pull this off and he was dead right. Not only is she the action star but the emotional core of the film, that which you can gleam from the trailer for the movie. Zoe was not the only great casting coup of this film though. Along with Zoe there's the very capable and talented Lennie James who plays Special Agent Ross. Cliff Curtis, Jordi Molla, Max Martini, and Michael Vartan help rounds out the cast. The real surprise though, the true find is Amandla Stenberg who plays young Cataleya. Be prepared to see a lot more of this young girl because she is very talented.

Young Cataleya sees her beloved mother and father murdered in front of her by her fathers ex-employer. Her father was a hit man who did the "wet" work for the big bad guy whose name you never really get. He sends his second in command Marco played by Jordi and almost a platoon of men to wipe out the entire family including the dog. Father and Mother along with their security teamed are laid to waste but not before Cataleya's father gives her a way to get out of Colombia and where to go once she gets to America. Marco fails to kill Cataleya and she makes it to the warm confines of her uncle's embrace played by Cliff Curtis who's Spanish accent can sometimes bring to mind Pacino's Scarface. She then explains what she wants to do with her life and her Uncle Emilio obliges her after a hilarious conversation in front of Cataleya's new elementary school.

She then grows up into a very lethal and efficient hit person who gets work from her Uncle. When she's not working for him though she finds and eliminates men who either had a hand in her parents death or who may have done work with the man responsible for her parents murder. On their stomachs she draws a picture of the cataleya orchid where her name comes from. She also knows she needs to keep her walls up and does so with her love interest if you can call him that. Danny Delany played by Michael Vartan and Cataleya are more like bed buddies than anything else. They are both damaged people who either don't know how to love or is willing to open up to love. So it makes you wonder how these two ever got together in the first place. Danny does something that puts her in danger it amps the movie up into a breakneck pace. If you are a fan of The Professional, another Luc Besson film then you will love this movie.

This movie is hyper edited by Camille Delamarre almost to the point of inducing a seizure at certain points so be prepared. The score done by Nathaniel Mechaly was decent at times but generic and almost utterly forgettable overall. The cinematography is nicely done, especially early on in the film as it tracks a foot chase through the favelas of Colombia. The movie on a whole though is hollow, at least I found it such. Maybe you'll feel differently when you check it out. When you do, I'll see you at the theater!

Conan The Barbarian

Do NOT waste your money! I will repeat that for you. Do NOT waste your money for this movie is definitely not worth seeing in the theaters and quite possibly should be avoided on DVD. There is nothing fun, charming, or remotely entertaining about this movie which was very disappointing. I have to admit that after seeing his impressive turn in Game of Thrones as Khal Drogo, I was eager to see Jason Momoa inhabit the role that Arnold made famous. While Jason was the best thing about this god awful movie, his portrayal as Conan was not good. I blame director Marcus Nispel entirely for that though, him and the horrible story (and whenever there are four or more writers credited that's usually a bad thing).

Going I should have tempered my excitement once I saw the movies Nispel has directed in his career. He was the man responsible for the remakes of Friday the 13th, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and that horrid Pathfinder movie so I don't really know why he was given the reigns to revitalize the Conan name. I was hoping against hope that this movie would impress me in some small way if not overall and it didn't. Along for this ride with Jason Momoa is Stephen Lang, Ron Perlman, Rachel Nichols, and Rose McGowan who seems to be making a comeback though I wouldn't add this role to the resume.

The first Conan which had Arnold going up against James Earl Jones as the mighty Thulsa Doom had a little bit of everything. It had action, humor, charm, and a pretty good story. In Arnold's Conan, young Conan was taken and sold to slavers and it showed how he grew to a massive man and how he honed his fighting skills. There's none of that here. In this Conan, young Conan's village is wiped out because his father hid a piece of some mystical mask that could turn a man into a god. The mask was broken up into pieces when the Barbarians rose up and were victorious against the first mask wearer. This time around Stephen Lang is out to put the mask back together so he could bring his witch wife back from the dead. They find the piece and leave young Conan behind and alive when they ride out which makes absolutely no sense. You leave the son of the Barbarian King alive so he can spend his entire life dreaming about revenge? Makes no sense to me.

On top of needing to put the mask back together Stephen Lang's Khalar Zym needs a "pureblood" to fuel the mask. The sends him and his hordes on a quest to find a certain young lady who they can cut open and have bleed into the mask. That young woman would be Tamara played by Rachel Nichols who just so happens to be Conans predictable romantic interest. Now maybe this movie is better in 3D (though I doubt it) but in 2D if it doesn't have you wondering when this movie will ever end then maybe it's me (though I doubt that too). The score done by Tyler Bates is good but it's dragged down by the images it's married to. Like I said earlier, do NOT waste your money on this movie and if you do do not say I didn't warn you and I'll see you at the theater.

The Help

Now I don't usually get into the Oscars nor do I usually care what motion picture is up for best picture. Same goes for the actors. The one time I did place an Oscar wager was for best picture between the overrated and over hyped Avatar against the gritty realism of The Hurt Locker. I was right then and damned if I am not right now. Viola Davis WILL win the Oscar for best actress or supporting actress in her portrayal as Aibileen Clark in The Help. You've read it here first and if she doesn't win it will be a travesty the likes of the shutting out of The Color Purple by the academy (cause everyone knows Purple got ROBBED!).

Directed by relative neophyte Tate Taylor The Help is based on the novel by the same name from Kathryn Stockett. It tells the story of the maids in Jackson Mississippi during the 1960's and the indignities they endured at the hands of their employers, if you want to call them that. The movie follows spunky Skeeter Phelan played by Emma Stone, fresh out of college and returned home to family and friends. She wants to be a writer, a journalist, and a novelist but she was turned down by Harper Collins so she instead takes a job at the local paper writing a housewife tip column. Skeeter isn't happy with just the column though, she has bigger plans and pitches an idea for a book that tells what life is like from the maids point of view. No one is willing to talk to her, especially after the assassination of Medgar Evers but after one brutal arrest and the word of God changed all that.

This movie is a powerful movie but it could have fallen flat had it not been perfectly cast. True talent was needed to be on the screen alongside Viola and not get blown away and the casting directors and the producers did a fantastic job of assembling talent that can hold their own. Starting off with Octavia Spencer who plays Aibileen's best friend Minny Jackson, Octavia is best described as a character actor but those days are about to be over thanks to her performance as the mercurial Minny. Bryce Dallas Howard brings to vivid life the racist Hilly Holbrook who is the perfect foil for Emma Stones Skeeter. Allison Janney plays Skeeter's mother Charlotte Phelan and she has her very own moment of reckoning thanks to Skeeter not letting go of what happened to their own housekeeper Constantine played by the immortal Cicely Tyson. Sissy Spacek plays the absent minded Missus Walters, the mother of Hilly. Jessica Chastain plays the insecure Celia Foots and Ahna O'Reilly plays the easily manipulated Elizabeth Lefoolt. The cast is phenomenal so you have some idea just how good the acting is.

It's a moving, disturbing, and offensive movie because it gives you insight to what race relations were like before civil rights took hold. It gave you just a touch of the fear African Americans dealt with while living in the Jim Crow south. It will upset you as well as entertain you and don't be surprised when the credits roll that you don't find yourself applauding, it's that good. Scored by the subtle hand of Thomas Newman the music is perfect. Granted it sounds like almost everything else Thomas Newman has done but why fix what's not broken?

I had no desire to read this book but if the book is half as good as the movie is (and the books usually are) then this book must be an absolute amazing read. I don't think you can really go wrong if you read the book first or see the movie first and if you see the movie first then I'll see you at the theater!

Senna

Anyone that knows me knows I love auto sports and things that go fast. My grandmother introduced me to the sport when I was really young by taking me to the dirt track races down south. It was exciting to watch and I was hooked. I watched every Indy 500 and Nascar race I could and even had favorite drivers. It wasn't until I discovered Formula one racing though that I can say I was truly fascinated by the sport. Whereas most Indy car races and Nascar races were done on ovals with the rare "road course" thrown into the season just to give the drivers a reason to turn right, Formula One was all twist and turns. You really had to be a superb driver to handle the tracks and the speed of F1 racing and the man at the top of the heap was the Brazilian champion Ayrton Senna.

Senna is a movie about the fascinating life and tragic early death of one of the greatest drivers of all time and it's a masterful film. I thought I was a fan of Senna's because I knew the teams he drove for and loved how he drove but this movie opened my eyes to the man himself, not just the driver and I am even a bigger fan of his today. There are certain people that were born to do certain things. Like him or not, Picasso was born to paint like Jordan was born to play basketball. Marvin Gaye was born to sing, Ali was born to fight, and Senna was born to race. This movie documents that vividly.

It tells of how Senna got started racing. As most racers he started in go karts and was so good at karting his parents knew it was just a matter of time before their son moved into formula one and they were right. After winning the British Formula 3 championship he made his formula one debut with Toleman, a team that was middle of the pack at best. Toleman couldn't really compete with the better equipped, better financed teams and with a lesser driver Toleman would have never garnered any real notice. Senna changed all that. With an inferior car and on the toughest yet most glamorous road course of Monaco, Senna placed second. That made the big teams take notice and Senna was soon driving for Lotus.

Alain Prost, 3 time world champion at that time would not only become a teammate of Senna's but also his biggest and most heated rival. Where Senna was all chance and what some saw as reckless on the track, Prost was the complete opposite. Cold and calculating Prost bristled at the passion driven Senna and at first what was an uneasy alliance under team Mclaren soon became an impossible environment for both men. This movie takes you behind the scenes and shows you the vitriol the drivers had for each other.

Ayrton stated on more than one occasion that driving brought him closer to God. Driving also allowed him to help the youth of Brazil, something Ayrton was just as passionate about as his driving. Senna shows how Ayrton found himself and his true calling and how his dream manifested itself. It also shows a man who had such a sense of dread before the race that would eventually take his life that it seemed like he knew it was going to all end that day at San Marino. For me it was chilling to watch.

If you are/were a fan of Ayrton Senna or of Formula One then you must see this movie. If you've never heard of Ayrton Senna and hate auto sports you should see this movie. Why? Because you see it's not just about cars and speed, it's about the people behind the wheels, the people behind the teams, and the fans who love the drivers. I am happy this film was made and even happier that I got a chance to see Ayrton Senna in action again. I didn't realize just how much I missed him.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

SEE THIS MOVIE!!!

That's the second time I've used those words on my blog and the first movie I used those words for, I was dead on the money. I really feel like I am again here. Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a truly entertaining movie in every sense of the word and if you can get past James Franco's horrible acting then you will most definitely enjoy this movie. I went in thinking this movie was going to possibly disappoint no matter how great the trailer looked. Why? Because it was a planet of the apes movie and all previous incarnations were campy at best. Granted those ape movies were many years ago when best they could do was a mask on Roddy McDowell. Technology has come such a long way since then.

The story is a great one. Doctor Will Rodman is developing a cure for Alzheimer's but before they try human trials they decide to test it on the one mammal that is closest to humans, apes. The drug works wonders for one particular chimpanzee and because the drug does something to the iris of the eyes, she's nicknamed "bright eyes". Much to the labs surprise "bright eyes" was pregnant when the drug was administered to her and she goes berserk when she feels her offspring is threatened, bright eyes seals her fate by rampaging through the labs. Her offspring, Caeser who was in utero when his mother was given the drug is taken home by the head of the lab and designer of the wonder drug Doctor Rodman played by James Franco. He lives at home with his ailing father the talented John Lithgow who is succumbing to Alzheimer's.

The cast for this surprisingly good movie is a surprisingly good one. Look past James Franco and there's Bryan Cox, the lovely Freida Pinto, the underrated David Oyelowo, and fresh off his turn as Draco Malfoy from the Potter movies there's Tom Felton possibly being typecast. The star of the cast though, the one who is the motor of this movie is without a doubt the truly gifted Andy Serkis who plays Caeser. Serkis was the man behind the incredible performance of Gollum in the LOTR movies and was even mentioned quietly possibly getting an Oscar nomination for his work in those movies. He now shows off his incredible skills in Apes with the movements and facial gestures of Caeser. Solidly directed by relative newcomer Rupert Wyatt, Apes is a smartly written and well executed movie.

A very good portion of this movie takes place in "the monkey house" where Caeser is sent after he attacks his neighbor. It's compelling to watch how he goes from being the outcast and bullied to king of the pack. The scenes where Caeser is forced to stay behind after his human parents are court ordered to leave him in a place he knows nothing about and when he's finally allowed to go home and chooses to stay is great movie making. Caeser taking control of the pack coupled with the dangerous side effects of the second incarnation of the Alzheimer's drug on humans clearly illustrates how the apes will eventually take control.

Now should there be a sequel to this prequel, and I am sure there will be the producers of said possible prequel sequel would be wise to have Patrick Doyle score that movie as he did this movie. That would be a winning formula (and possibly an award winning one as well). The score was a fantastic marriage to the images of rampaging apes, chimps, and monkeys on the screen. Patrick did a great job on Thor and he's done another great job here.

I said it earlier, see this movie because it's just a really good film and I'll see you at the theater.