First Word

Rating: **** Another adult film released amidst the usual holiday popcorn flicks worth seeing. I'm just not a fan of the mega popcorn flicks unless they're just so great like Avatar you can't miss it. So with that thought I passed on Hunger Games and went for 12 Years a Slave . This film is like the 20th century version of Roots . It does nothing to glamorize slavery and takes a realistic perspective on the brutal reality of being a "free" man who loses his freedom when he's kidnapped and taken south to New Orleans and forced into slavery. As an educated man, he is self-aware and knows the difference between enslaved and being free. The film realistically walks the viewer through the emotional and physical breakdown of the man forced into degradation. The film is not uplifting. It's brutal and sad. Even at the end, you're not feeling inspired to do much more than hope slavery is ended forever everywhere in the world. The movie addresses the human...

Rating: ** I am a Ridley Scott fan. One of my all-time favorite movies Gladiator is a Ridley Scott film; so I went to see The Counselor with hopes of a movie that would be worthy of a five-star rating. I was disappointed. This movie was less action than cerebral exploration of life, greed, love and grief. I have to get my superficial comments out of the way. First, the costumes and slick fashionista approach to the story distracted from the realism. From the sunglasses to the hokey hairdos, it was much too much. Yes, we got the impression of the world of the rich and well-to-do, but at the same time, I found myself staring at the colorful wardrobe and ridiculous hairdos than paying attention to the story itself. The actual story revolves around an attorney's fall from grace as he lets his pursuit of money get him involved in a drug cartel scheme to move drugs across the Mexican border to Chicago. This movie is a who-is-screwing-who mind-bender, except about halfway through C...

I has been a very long time since I've watched a seamless, perfect movie, but last night I watched Moneyball on Blu-Ray and all I have to say is bravo! What a fine film. Starring Brad Pitt, whose acting chops have never impressed me in the past, Moneyball is centrally about a man, a vision and a desire to make it come true. Pitt's Billy Bean is a haunted man with a vision to change the business of baseball, and he sets off undaunted to meet the challenge. The story is absolutely about the journey, but isn't it always truly about the journey? This movie mirrors so much of what I'm working toward right now in my own life and reminded me to stay the course just the same way Billy stays the course even when it becomes plainly obvious the plan isn't working. When he asks his assistant general manager played by Jonah Hill in a quiet, resolute performance if he believes it will work, Hill's character quietly says yes. Right there! Right there is the message: BELIEVE!...