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Reviews
Hotel Mumbai (2018)
Were the other reviewers here watching the same movie I was?
No one should ever expect any movie about such a carnage to follow the actual events in real time. Estimates are that nearly 60 died at the train station (shown first in the movie) and more than 30 perished at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Although the train station event could have better represented in this film, the segue to the situation at the Taj was fairly seamless and leaves the viewer with little to ponder.
What follows is nothing short of gripping, as ordinary people face extraordinary situations just to stay alive. The screenplay license taken by the film's makers shows in vivid (often horrendous) detail the scope of the attacks on innocent people by this group of terrorists. I don't think anyone who lived through this event can quarrel with the realism portrayed in the film, let alone the outcome. I found this movie to be fine cinema and I watched it twice before returning it to Red Box. I don't regret watching it a second time. Strongly recommended, but be prepared for a lot of blood and violence.
The Monuments Men (2014)
A splended historical effort
Unlike many of the mainstream critics, I found this movie to be totally entertaining and informative -- a pleasure to view in a big screen theater. The editing and video segues are slick and easy to follow. And the interaction among the cast members makes this a totally enjoyable experience. George Clooney is said to have been despondent about the lack of this film's box office success, even though it turned out fine globally. I can say without equivocation that some films just need to be made, no matter what box office receipts turn out to be. This was one of them.
As the rise of despotism worldwide churns our stomachs, it is imperative that we're never allowed to forget what's at the end of that road. This movie displays it without varnish to try to keep the public focus on vigilance. Clooney, Matt Damon, John Goodman and Bill Murray and Cate Blanchett headline a cast that delivers at every turn. Rent this movie if you haven't seen it and then take the phone off the hook while you watch. It will be time well spent.