Good Movies
Random List of Movies I Have Enjoyed…I’m big on documentaries and films that are based on true stories or events. I might throw in a blockbuster title every now and then but most of my choices will be films that aren’t of the Spiderman and Harry Potter variety. I liked all the films in those series but no one needs me to review those movies.
Flags of Our Fathers - I watched this movie and was very surprised to learn about the history of the picture, and subsequent Marine memorial, depicting American soldiers on Iwo Jima. Never before had I heard this story. The movie is based on a book by James Bradley.
Freedom Writers - Here’s a great story about a teacher who believed in her class of high school students when the rest of the world had given up on them. My description is a little cliche, but accurate. The movie starring Hilary Swank is based on the true story of Erin Gruwell.
The Last King of Scotland - This film starring Forest Whitaker is based on the novel of the same name by Giles Foden. It depicts, through the brilliant use of a fictional character, the rise to power of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. It really shows how much of a whack job this guy really was.
The Pursuit of Happyness - Brilliant film, I loved it. I enjoy watching Will Smith on the screen anyway so to see him in such a dramatic role made for a great viewing experience. The film, based on the book by Chris Gardner, follows the life of a man who is trying to create a better life for himself and his son. He never gives up and, like most movies do, succeeds by the end of the film. Good stuff.
The Holiday - When my wife brought this one home I immediately thought “chick flick” but it’s really a good movie. Two women try to escape from their personal lives for a few days by participating in a home swap across the ocean. Each finds the “something” that was missing in their life even though they thought it’s exactly what they were trying to escape. It’s a movie guys can pick up and not end up bored when their wife or girlfriend wants to see a movie that doesn’t have an explosion of some kind.
Ray - It’s a biopic about Ray Charles and I liked it. I love to watch the true, but sometimes for film, embellished life stories of noted performers. That man overcame adversity all his life but kept going and became a world famous icon. Jamie Foxx did an amazing job of portraying Ray Charles.
Walk the Line - Similarly this biopic traces the life of Johnny Cash. It’s amazing what he went through to get where he was. Demons he created followed him all the way. But June Carter Cash was the one who made him value his life again and they were quite the couple.
Fahrenheit 9/11 - Whether a person likes Michael Moore or not, I think this man makes some great movies. The most staunch opponent of Moore’s still has to walk away from one of his films with some new information or appreciation for a viewpoint that they didn’t understand before. This film is all about September 11th and the after effects…that we are still feeling today.
Bowling for Columbine - Again, Micahel Moore creates a moving film about the state of our country. While Fahrenheit 9/11 deals with terroroism and the events of September 11th, 2001, Bowling for Columbine puts America face to face with the issue of guns in this country.
Super Size Me - Critics instantly refute this movie by Morgan Spurlock with the statement “No one eats nothing but McDonalds for 30 days.” Are you sure ? I think there are likely some people in this country that visit fast food places as the main components of their everyday dietary life. Morgan starts the film as a healthy, fit man. After 30 days of eating nothing except what McDonalds sells he is very, very unhealthy. The doctors who are monitoring him do see the effects they were expecting as well as some effects that are very surprising to these medical professionals. It’s not a scary movie, it’s funny but you certainly take a new viewpoint on fast food with you after the TV is turned off.
Fast Food Nation - While not a companion movie to Super Size Me, these 2 movies share a common overall theme. The nastiness of fast food. This film is based on information found in the non-fiction book of the same name by Eric Schlosser. Eric then collaborated with a director to create a fictional film using the ideas and facts presented in his book. What feeling do you come away with? Well it’s been 3 days since I saw the DVD and I haven’t touched a piece of meat. I’m not sure if I will.
Babel - I liked this movie, I’m not sure it was all that the critics wanted me to think it was. It’s a good film and it fulfills, what I think, is the single goal that the director wanted to achieve. We are all humans. All cultures, all ethnicities. We are all children, we are all parents, we all make mistakes and we are all as susceptible to life’s challenges as the person standing next to us.
Syriana - I knew I wanted to see this movie but I didn’t know what it was about except that oil was the big theme. This is indeed a complicated movie to follow. I think if I watch it a second time I’ll grasp a whole lot more about what was going on. There are a lot of characters that you need to know and keeping them straight can be difficult. But I also read somewhere that the fimmaker wanted this movie to be complicated because the subject matter is complicated. Nothing is simple in the oil business. While George Clooney and Matt Damon are the names on the poster, they certainly are not the main focus of the film. A lot of lesser known and unknown actors turn in great performances for this one. The plot? Well the purpose of the movie is to expose to us, the American gas guzzling consumer, what really can and does happen in order to get that fuel into the tank of your SUV. It’s a movie filled with intrigue, secrecy and expose. There are emirs, terrorists, oilmen and government agents involved and they all affect the process.
The Bourne Ultimatum - Wow, I loved this one. I think it was the best of the 3 films in the series. Tons of action, good storyline and amazing sequences made it a great flick. There was sometimes so much non-stop action that my brain was flooded in movie adrenaline. I try to get totally immersed in a movie and rarely think too much about how a movie is made. But during this one I became acutely aware of something the director was doing. During a “quiet” scene that didn’t involve a speeding car or a shooting match about a minute would pass and I’d realize that my brain had calmed down from the previous 15 minutes of non-stop action. By the time I latched onto this concept the action ramped right up again and I was immersed in stuntman mania again. I thank the director for dropping in these “mental rest stops”, I feel they really help the movie. If you like a great action film filled with scenes that sometimes make you cringe cause they look so real then you’ll love this movie. A good plotline makes it all the better.
Everyone’s Hero - This is a great film for you to watch with the kids. It’s an animated movie about baseball. This fiction story follows a young boy as he goes to great lengths to recover Babe Ruth’s bat in time for the 1932 World Series. Oh, and it features a talking, seemingly living baseball and bat. Oh, just go rent it, it’s worth it.
Transformers - Man, oh man, is this a good one or what?!? Besides the outstanding special effects and action sequences there’s plenty of humor mixed in. I think Shia LeBeouf was a great casting decision as the main character. The storyline may leave you wanting a little bit more at the end but you’ve just seen a well put together movie so it’s tolerable. And there really are about a half dozen times that make you laugh out loud, that’s nice to have in a rock’em, sock’em action adventure movie. Never fear, there’s a sequel (or 3) in the works…this is certainly a franchise that could live on for quite a while.
Meet the Robinsons - Here’s a Disney (non-Pixar) animated film that deserves your time. I liked this movie a lot. It has rich animation, loveable characters and at a certain point you think you have the movie figured out but you end up having to wait till the end to have your suspicions confirmed. There’s lots of goofy characters and elaborate scenes as well. A good family film that the parents won’t get bored watching. It has a few jokes that only the adults will understand and that makes it even better.
