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Film reviews to entertain and enlighten sighted and blind movie enthusiasts alike...

by Sarah Star

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Archive for the 'Drama Reviews' Category

17/February/2009 [6:57 PM] -- Changeling
Angelina Jolie gives a heart breaking performance as Christine Collins, a single working mother in Los Angeles in 1928. When her son goes missing, the police begin a search for her son, Walter Collins, and 5 months later a boy is returned to Christine and she is shocked and upset to find out that the boy isn’t her son. Joined by a passionate and kind pastor (John Malkovich), Christine battles for justice against the corrupt L.A.P.D. Not knowing how far the corruption goes, eventually her fight brings her into the custody of a mental hospital, where she soon finds she is not the only victim of the twisted system. Brilliantly crafted by Clint Eastwood and based on a true story, the authentic feel of Changeling often makes it very difficult to watch. Jolie gives a painful and anguished performance and Jason Butler Harner (Next, John Adams) is beyond creepy, as the psychopathic murderer of 20 children. Eastwood has brought us another Oscar-worthy film that would have been on my list of contenders for Best Picture of the Year. Changeling is now available on DVD and I would recommend watching it with a sighted friend to grasp the full tragedy of this perfectly balanced work of art.

Nominated for:

Best Actress: Angelina Jolie

Art Direction

Cinematography

Could have also been nominated for:

Supporting Actor: Jason Butler Harner

Director: Clint Eastwood

Best Picture

Costume Design
- (Imagine Entertainment)
- Starring: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jason Butler Harner and Jeffrey Donovan
- Rated: R
- Running Time: 141 mins
- This film is currently NOT available in MoPix
Posted in [Drama Reviews]
13/February/2009 [1:19 PM] -- The Duchess
The Duchess, based on the life of the royal Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana Spencer (Keira Knightly), who achieved an impressive level of fame from the British who followed both her fashion style and political advice. However, not even her celebrity and wealth could save her marriage to the boring and unfaithful Duke (Ralph Fiennes). When he begins to exhibit his affair with one of her closest friends Bess Foster (Hayley Atwell), Georgiana is tempted to return to her teenage crush Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper). Fiennes’s horrid behavior as the Duke of Devonshire takes position right next to the dreadful Lord Voldemort, but being the exceptional actor Fiennes is he is able to give the Duke a depth of humanity that his character does not deserve. Like most period pieces The Duchess focuses on the lack of power that all women of that time had but Knightly brings courage and spirit to the role of Georgiana, who is found in the genealogy of Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson. Although lacking truth in some of the factual data, The Duchess is a beautifully made film, with high accomplishments in costuming, art design and cinematography. It is not available in MoPix but will be easy to follow without. If you like such films as Pride and Prejudice, and War and Peace, you will love The Duchess.

Nominated for:
Costume Design

Art Direction

Could have also been nominated for:
Cinematography
(Paramount)

Starring: Keira Knightly, Ralph Fiennes, Charlotte Rampling, Dominic Cooper

Rated: PG-13

Running Time: 105 mins

This film is currently NOT available in MoPix

Posted in [Drama Reviews]

13/February/2009 [12:53 PM] -- Australia

Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) is a proper Englishwoman who journeys to Australia in the time leading up to World War II reaching Australia’s shores, determined to have her husband sell his cattle ranch to power hungry businessman named King Carney (Bryan Brown). However, she arrives to find out her husband has been killed and her plans change when she witnesses a man named Fletcher (David Wenham) cheating her husbands business for his own gain and mistreating a young boy named Nullah (Brandon Walters) because he is of mixed race. Overwhelmed with wanting a sense of justice, Lady Ashley wants to drive her herd of cattle to the town of Darwin so she can sell them to the troops, but she needs help and talks an independent cowboy (Hugh Jackman) into helping her get them there. Directed by Baz Luhrman (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge) this film has everything from witty comedy, to western style bar brawls, romance, and war, all complimented by the astonishing costume work by Luhrman’s wife and collaborator, Catherine Martin. Nicole Kidman is delightful, adding her own special charm to a well written character and Hugh Jackman is magnificent as always as a leading romantic, action hero. This film has a lot of classic elements, often referencing the Wizard of Oz, and resembling such films as Gone With the Wind. This film is not available in MoPix and alas it should be, since it does have many action sequences, however it is narrated by the young boy Nullah, who does an amazing job for one so young. I do believe anyone with a sense of adventure will enjoy this film.

Nominated for:

Costume Design

Could have also been nominated for:

Cinematography

Art Direction

(Twentieth Century Fox)
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, David Wenham
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 165 mins
This film is currently NOT available in MoPix

sword sword sword 1/2

Posted in [Drama Reviews, Comedy Reviews, Action Film Reviews]

13/February/2009 [12:30 PM] -- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is beautifully adapted for the screen by Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, Munich). This story is a romantic drama that tells the strange tale of Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt), born in New Orleans in 1918 a dying, aging 80 year old with cataracts, arthritis and wrinkles. Benjamin begins to age backwards, getting younger as the people closest to him grow older including his adoptive mother, Queenie (Taraji P. Henson), and the love of his life, he meets when she is just girl, Daisy (Cate Blanchett). As he ages backward and she ages forward they begin to take on separate lives, until finally meeting in the middle. This film is epic in scale and intimate in detail, director David Fincher (Fight Club, Seven) deviates from his usual style to bring us the most emotionally impactful film of the year. Brad Pitt is nothing short of extraordinary and Cate Blanchett offers the most touching performance of her career. Skillful acting, exceptional directing and an inspired script aren’t the only impressive accomplishments of this film, the achievements in both makeup and CGI used to make these characters age are remarkable. All of these elements serve to make this film one of the most beautiful love stories of all time. This film is available in MoPix and may prove to be effetive in certain scenes but it also offers a lot of dialogue and narration from Brad Pitt that will be very helpful to you too.

Nominated for:

Best Picture

Best Actor: Brad Pitt

Best Supporting Actress: Taraji P. Henson

Art Direction

Cinematography

Costume Design

Directing

Film Editing

Makeup

Music (Score)

Sound Mixing

Visual Effects

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Could have also been nominated for:

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett

Is there anything left?

(Warner Bros)
Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson and Tilda Swiden
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 165 mins
This film is currently available in MoPix

sword sword sword sword sword

Posted in [Drama Reviews]

12/February/2009 [4:28 PM] -- The Reader

I want to start off by saying, right before the big night of the Oscars I will review all my picks for what I believe should win that evening but I will tell you up front now that this movie has my vote for best picture of the year. The Reader has gotten mixed reviews and a lot of people have a predetermined belief that this is another typical Holocaust film, I can assure you, it is not. This emotionally written film focuses more on the perpetrators then the victims of the Holocaust and gives insight into the fact that some of them were people too, even victims of a different fate. Kate Winslet takes on another hefty role of Hanna Schmitz, a woman who has an affair with Michael Berg (David Kross), a fifteen year old boy in Germany in the 1950’s. Their romance is filled with tender and emotional moments of love making and literature reading. Things become complicated and Hanna suddenly disappears, and Michael is forced to return to his normal life. Close to a decade later, Michael is studying law when he sees Hanna again, only this time she is on trial for her actions as a guard during the war. The story becomes very heart wrenching as we, along with Michael are torn between justice and a well hidden secret that may save Hanna from a life in prison. Based on the bestselling novel by Bernhard Schlink and beautifully written for the screen by David Hare, The Reader is multilayered not offering the audience any easy answers but undoubtedly makes you find feeling and compassion for all the characters. Director Stephen Daldry (The Hours) brings together a touching and powerful film. Kate Winslet is at her career best and German actor David Kross is fascinating and remarkable. This film is not currently available in MoPix but I do believe you can follow this story without it, there is a lot of things given away in facial expressions so if you have a sighted friend to help you out it will bring the depth and brilliancy that is The Reader.

Nominated for:

Best Actress: Kate Winslet

Cinematography

Directing

Best Picture

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Could have also been nominated for:

Best Actor: David Kross

(The Weinstein Company)
Starring: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross and Lena Olin
Rated: R
Running Time: 123 mins
This film is currently NOT available in MoPix

sword sword sword sword sword

Posted in [Drama Reviews]

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by Sarah Star

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