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Frozen II (2019)
Loved this Frozen
Saw Frozen 2 tonight. The film is an excellent follow up to the original. Everyone from the original is in it, but unlike the original, this one is darker and more intense.
After a prophecy from the trolls, Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven go on a quest to save Arendelle. They journey to the Enchanted Forest where their fate awaits them.
I won't give it away, except to say that I was pleased and impressed. This time everyone sings, but the song I was waiting for was Kristoff's who belts out "Lost in the Woods", a beautiful ballad dedicated to romantic love. I agree with many of the critics who say that it's the best bit in the film. Jonathan Groff has an amazing voice and puts this song over beautifully.
If you love Frozen or a Disney lover like me, this film is for you. It's geared to both adults and kids alike.
Oh and stay until the end of the credits. You won't be disappointed.
Anastasia (1997)
Anastasia
Let's put it this way. I am an adult who loves animation and this film does not disappoint. I saw it in the theater when it first came out and, even though it's not historically accurate, I loved it. I STILL love it and watch it every time it comes on cable as I am doing this minute.
I saw the first Anastasia with Yul Brynner and Ingrid Bergman and I loved that one as well. We now know, thanks to DNA results that Anna Anderson was not the Grand Duchess Anastasia. We also know that Anastasia's remains were discovered. But it doesn't change the fact this film was well made, the music is catchy (especially Once Upon a December, my favorite song) and it has a happy ending.
The cast is star studded, Meg Ryan as Anastasia, John Cusack as Dimitri, Kelsey Grammar as Vlad and Angela Lansbury as the Dowager Empress all voice their characters well. Christopher Lloyd as Rasputin and Hank Azaria as Bartok the bat are absolutely wonderful as the bad guys.
When I watch or read any historical fiction, I always want to go and discover the truth about the main characters. This film is a perfect example of that. So even though it is historical inaccurate, what could be so wrong? There are books, articles and documentaries on the real Rasputin and the Romanovs which will lead everyone to the truth if interested. That's what historical fiction is all about in my opinion.
Enjoy this wonderful film and forget that it's not historically accurate. It's great for kids and adults like me who love animated films. Hats off to Don Bluth for doing a fantastic job.
Watch and enjoy.
The Ten Commandments (2007)
Could have been better
First this is a biblical story based on the Old Testament. Next, this story is not the most accurate I've seen. It sticks closely to the book, but there's been plenty that's been changed or left out. Let's say it contains bits and pieces of accuracy, but so do both of C.B. De Mille's versions and Prince of Egypt, all of which are also pretty accurate in spots. Last, this film borrows characters and scenes from the above films as well. The acting is not the best, (neither is the animation) but I sat through it (took me two tries but my curiosity got the better of me)
Worth watching if curious, but i would stick to De Mille's versions (both the 23 and 56 films) and Prince of Egypt for great animation and music.
Charlie St. Cloud (2010)
Beautiful Well Acted Film
After reading the book, I could hardly wait for this film to open and believe me it doesn't disappoint.
Zac Efron does a great acting job as Charlie St. Cloud, a boy who has just received a sailing scholarship from Stamford. His future is all but sewn up until he and his brother Sam (played wonderfully by Charlie Tahan)get into a car accident. Sam and Charlie both die, but a caring paramedic by the name of Florio Ferrente (another great performance by Ray Liotta) performs a miracle and is able to bring Charlie back. Before he returns to the land of the living, Charlie promises Sam that he will always be there for him, no matter what. And so every day, Charlie comes back to play catch with Sam. Five years later he has chucked his scholarship and is now a caretaker at Waterside Cemetery, so that he can be close to his brother. Everything is going along well, until he spies a young woman by the name of Tess Carroll (another great acting job by Amanda Crew) who is getting ready to sail around the world. He meets her at the cemetery while she is cleaning out her father's grave and the two form a strong bond, although neither of them knows it yet.
One day, Florio spots Charlie in the street and tells him that he was saved for a reason and was given a second chance at life and that Charlie is just throwing his life away.
After a few days, he spots Tess again at her father's grave and their bond becomes deeper until the two fall passionately in love. Now Charlie must choose between the living and the dead and find his second chance at life.
By the way, Charlie can see the dead because of the promise he made to his brother before he was brought back to life by Florio. When he breaks the bond with Sam, he loses the ability to see the dead.
The movie did follow the book closely with slight differences, but all in all it is a film worth checking out just to marvel at the great acting job by all. And I am going to recommend reading the beautiful book The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood. You will need a hankie for both.
for geniuskentyk...my advice is to read the book..it will explain away a lot of the things that are missing for you...
Newsies (1992)
An Overlooked Gem
Let me start out by saying I love historical fiction. It's so much better than reading history straight out of a schoolbook. Newsies, based on the 1899 New York newsboy strike, has brought a forgotten true incident to life and made it stand out in our minds, as all great pieces of historical fiction should do. It is an entertaining film with catchy songs and some great dancing sequences. The acting performances, notably Christian Bale and Bill Pullman (who I had no idea could sing) are wonderful. It's refreshing to see such enthusiasm for a film that was considered Disney's biggest disaster. This is the second time I've seen it now and I can honestly say that it doesn't disappoint.
The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996)
The Mirror Has Two Faces
The Mirror Has Two Faces
When our local cable company started running this film a month ago, I had almost forgotten that I had seen it in the theater when it first came out. I was reminded of how much I had missed the film and started watching it again. I was surprised and pleased to find that I still enjoy it and I've watched it faithfully every time that it's shown.
Jeff Bridges plays a Columbia University mathematics professor, Gregory Larkin. He is good looking but a boring, lonely man, whose relationships with beautiful women never work out. He wants one that is platonic, which is founded on respect, intelligence and a passion for ideas. Inspired by a television ad, he takes out his own personal ad and finds several applicants, which includes another Columbia University literature professor Rose Morgan through her sister, Claire, who answers the ad.
Gregory calls her one night after visiting her class and asks her to dinner where the two of them hit it off. Three months later, Gregory proposes and explains the arrangement, although, he tells her that if she wants sex, given enough of a warning, he'll be able to provide that. Rose accepts, even though she wants more. She gets her chance after she helps Greg with his teaching and he asks her if he can return the favor. And that's when things go horribly wrong.
While I'm not a big fan of Barbra Streisand, I find this romantic comedy to be witty and intelligent. The acting is sensational on all fronts, especially from Barbra Streisand, Jeff Bridges and Lauren Bacall who are its standouts. The chemistry between Ms. Streisand and Mr. Bridges is perfect and their romantic scenes are wonderful to watch, especially the final scene.
Enchanted (2007)
A Different Ever After
This is the story of good, evil, trust and betrayal. It is about a young prince, his bride, the evil stepmother and her henchman. It is Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty (with a little King Kong) all rolled into one. But this is not your typical Disney film.
Enchanted is all about Giselle who, apart from belting out a song; can cook, clean, and sew all with the help of her best friend, Pip (who just happens to be chipmunk) and the rest of her little forest friends. She lives in the kingdom of Andalasia and is searching for her one true love. Prince Edward, with help from his valet, Nathanial, has just rid the fairy tale world of another troll, hears her song and rushes to find her. The two fall in love on the spot, he proposes, and a marriage is planned for the next day much to the dismay of his evil stepmother, Queen Narissa. She wants to keep the crown all to herself and will go to any lengths to stop this strange woman from marrying her stepson. So on the day of the wedding, as Giselle rushes to get to the palace on time, she is pushed by the evil queen into a place where, as Queen Narissa puts it, there are "no happily ever afters." Giselle winds up in the middle of Times Square in New York City where she happens to be stuck until Prince Edward comes to save her. Along the way, she is rescued by divorce lawyer, Robert and his little 6 year old daughter, Morgan who give her temporary lodging. Will the Prince finally show up? Will she find her true love and will it turn out to be Prince Edward? And will she finally find her way back to Andalasia? The first half of this film is fun, while the second half is very predictable, but go with it.
Three standout scenes include Central Park, Let's Clean the Apartment and the Kings and Queen's Ball. This is Disney spoofing on Disney with three of their all time classic films, with many hidden references to other Disney notables. Amy Adams has a wonderful voice and she fits into the Giselle role perfectly. James Marsden of X Men fame, hams it up in his standout performance as Prince Edward. Susan Sarandon looks like she's having a great time as Queen Narissa. If you love Disney as much as I do, this is the film for you.
The Mist (2007)
A mesmerizing film
The Mist
Frank Darabount has done a great job directing two previous Stephen King films, The Shawshank Redemption and the Green Mile. The Mist is no exception. It is definitively one creepy film.
After a freak electrical storm cripples a small coastal village in Maine the night before, artist David Drayton, his wife Stephanie and his five year old son, notice a strange mist emerging from the lake, which David shrugs off. They walk around their property surveying the damage and notice that a neighbor's tree has fallen on their boathouse, destroying it. David and Billy pay a visit to Brent Norton to discuss payment of the damages and the three decide to venture into town for supplies, leaving David's wife behind.
While there however, they notice that the mist has followed them into town, trapping the small group of people in a supermarket, including David, Billy and neighbor Brent Norton. For three days, they are terrorized by strange creatures, which could be the result of an experiment gone awry at a nearby military base.
This film sucks you in from the beginning to its unexpected and twisty ending. Marcia Gay Harden in her standout performance as Mrs. Carmody plays a religious fanatic who whips the desperate group into a frenzy. The rest of the excellent cast including Thomas Jane, Toby Jones and Andre Braugher do a fine job portraying a bunch of desperate people with nowhere to go. The story is based on the novella included in the anthology, Skeleton Crew. Worth seeing if just once.