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I nostri ragazzi (2014)
Blood Is Not Thicker Than Water.
This movie is about two diverse professional brothers who tolerate each other, but really never had a close relationship. They both lead posh lives with a monthly dinner reservation at an expensive restaurant.They really just go through the motions of tolerating, each others' company, and find that their wives and children are so out of touch with reality that their inability to love one another has transposed to their two teenage children. The boy & girl are so spoiled and entitled that any behavior is acceptable in their privileged lifestyle. The boy, son of the prominent physician is lazy and his lackluster personality is disturbing to watch. Unfortunately, the daughter of the other brother is a successful defense lawyer; and she is by far the most spoiled and deceitful of the two. She schemes a scenario about a vicious attack on a homeless woman after a drinking party that makes them murderers because of their callous, inept immorality. Both couples come to realize they've done a terrible job of raising their 16 year olds,but the dialogue with the two couples gets increasingly strained and bizarre as they try to come to terms with any remedy to change the outcome for their children's destiny. All four adults are in Crisis Mode and it's one disaster after another that clamours to the very end of the film. Very moving and thought provoking about the priorities of very successful people and how they navigate their transparent lives.
A Case of You (2013)
Cliché Romantic Comedy, but reminds of how a relationship can work.
I liked this movie and first thought Justin Long and Rachel Wood were very mismatched. Changing my opinion early on, we realize that many people do not have a lot of confidence in finding love and dating in general. The couple meet in a local coffee shop were he finds her funny and engaging. He use resources on her Facebook page to have the courage to pursue her and invests all his energy in becoming all the things she likes on her Facebook interests. He's a movie writer and she loses her job in the coffee shop where they first met due to tardiness & he tracks her at a open acting forum and becomes diligent in learning many talents. Dancing, Rock climbing, camping, & guitar playing just to name a few. To know him is probably for some other movie, but he was a joy to see how dedicated he was to involve himself in all the hobbies and ambitions she has. I found it entertaining, somewhat predictable, but she also was aware of his charm no matter what his premise was. It was refreshing to see a couple develop a relationship no matter how flawed it was, and surely it was a novelty from the sexual posture all romantic comedies take on first.
St. Vincent (2014)
Bill Murray is not a Saint by any means--or is he??!!
I could not imagine Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy & Naomi Watts making a film together--what a match-up! Being good, loved, and saintly are within the realm of many of us human folk, but Bill Murray will not have it and plays a mean spirited ex-Vietnam Vet that has bad habits, is very hardened and says whatever he likes no matter who he insults. When a young boy and his Mom (Melissa) move in next door after a divorce, Vincent is obliged to help her for the extra money which he desperately needs to babysit till she comes home from her nursing job at a nearby hospital. He takes him to all the wrong places that Oliver should not participate in such as bars, horse-racing and fight lessons learning how to knock someone out. The journey slowly turns into a type of bond of total dysfunction, but they find the best in each others company and within weeks the saintless Vincent (Bill Murray) accidentally finds the child a blessing in his life. He has Naomi Watts as his Russian prostitute and disguises her as a cleaning lady/friend. This role was the best Bill Murray has developed in quite a while and aside from being a real jerk in so many of his actions, the extraordinary performance does bring a sentimental closure of how friendship can grow from all the wrong beginnings. I love Melissa McCarthy with her earthiness, comedy and the dramatic role is just sublime for her. She is just amazing in anything she does. I believe it's a thumbs up and you may even feel a little excess moisture in your eyes as you come to the final scenes of this emotionally satisfying movie.
Gardens of the Night (2008)
Loud Bell Warnings about Child Abduction!
My question was always how beautiful, SMART, promising children get abducted in the first place and erased from their family's dynamics. This movie is every parents nightmare and to see how Tom Arnold (Alex) and his partner (Frank), played by Kevin Zegers go through the cunning, gut wrenching process of surreptitiously convincing an 8 yr.old gorgeous child, that he worked for the father and she needed to get into the car and talk about his father's 'big troubles'. Tom Arnold played this monster abductor with such skill, and at first with gentle convincing persuasion that they had been abandoned by their families because of their FAMILIES' bleak circumstances. "Never talk to Strangers" goes above and beyond, because they both are so eloquent and seamless in their successful display of believability. I presume that walking alone back and forth from school is a thing of the past! This is a tough watch, so get your gut strong and the message is clear. This is all done for money marketing these children into porno, rape and abuse. Without giving the ending away it is certainly a movie that educates, and depicts a well researched account by the writer Damian Harris. For two years he worked among the pimps, shelters, child porno industry to identify this horror and how it manifests within these young adults as they grow to know the truth.
Common (2014)
Group Enterprise can be defining!
Having raised three boys of my own, I found this movie very interesting and plausible when it comes to young men going on a group-ride for take-out. Most times they do not always communicate their intentions and thoughts as a group, but enjoy the togetherness of adventure. The driver 'Johnjo' is the driver and very naive and stoic as to the wait time in the car as the others go inside. The morale for me and most parents that might watch this, is to instill in our children that you can be a product of the circumstances that may develop in a group venture without your knowledge. The 'Joint Enterprise' legal entrapment they face is they all played a role in a tragic death that occurred in the small take-away restaurant. I loved the two female mother roles and found them so authentic and heart-wrenching. The key for me was the variations of innocence in each of the passengers and after watching the movie you will make your own determination as to it all coming down to being aware of the personalities you hang out with.