Category Archives: Acceptable for children

2008, Acceptable for children, Mediocre, Plot Twist, Psychic Phenomena, Sci-Fi, Suspense

Knowing (2008)

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From NetFlix:

Fifty years after a time capsule was buried at a local school, teacher John Koestler (Nicolas Cage) examines its contents and discovers that it holds many shockingly true predictions. Soon, John is convinced that his family will play a role in an impending apocalypse. Rose Byrne co-stars as Diane Wayland, the daughter of the woman who first buried the capsule, in this tense blockbuster thriller from ace sci-fi auteur Alex Proyas.

Give this film a B. Nonetheless, this sci-fi film tells a well-detailed story that held my attention. While not violent, you witness several fatal accidents such as subway and plan crashes, including burning live victims.

Without spoiling the story for you, you should expect the final fifth of the film to take what was for me a very unexpected turn that seemed to place the film in possibly a less worthy category. From a certain standpoint the ending was very daring and perhaps not pleasing to the general audience. More than that, the very ending was a bit too Steven Spielberg-like for my tastes. In my humble opinion we could have done without that last scene.

Comments ?

2010, Acceptable for children, Drama, Feel Good For All, Supernatural

Hereafter (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Clint Eastwood directs this supernatural thriller about three very different people and their responses to death, including a hesitant American psychic named George (Matt Damon) who may be able to help the others find answers and peace. Marie (Cécile De France) is a French journalist caught up in the aftereffects of the devastating 2004 tsunami, while in London, young Marcus (Frankie and George McLaren) seeks to contact his deceased twin brother.

Finally I have found a current worthwhile feel-good film suitable for the entire family. Years ago a colleague at work said “If you want to make a good movie, why not just tell a good story ?” Perhaps the idea sounds simplistic, but this film tells a good story that keeps you interested. What’s more it has an ending that was perfect as a pleasant surprise because I thought the film would continue past that point.

Is Matt Damon a good actor or is he just plain lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time ? He made this film when he was 40 years old. He has put on weight but is fortunate to have a young face. For this film I think he fit well. His part was understated. In fact his character wanted nothing more than to be an ordinary man.

Please note the importance of the final handshake.

1000NYTimes, 1001BeforeDie, 1955, Acceptable for children, Black and White Film, Classic, Corny, Suspense

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

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From NetFlix:

Bogus “preacher” Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) learns cellmate Ben Harper (Peter Graves) has stashed stolen loot on his property. So after the demented Powell is released, he charms Ben’s widow (Shelley Winters) into getting hitched, and in time, only Ben’s kids stand between him and the money. As he stalks the siblings relentlessly, they seek refuge with the indomitable Rachel Cooper (Lillian Gish), setting the stage for a battle of wills.

Lately I have read much praise for this film. In fact you should read the Wikipedia article that mentions the positions this film occupies in various anthologies of worthy films. Its descriptions of why the film is special surpass any description I could write.

Personally I found the black and white impressionistic photography incredibly clear and a new experience. This film was Charles Laughton’s only directed film (probably because it was not a success). Times have changed and for me the film was a bit corny and much too long. Moreover in those days you had to see the bad guy get his comeuppance. Today’s films love ambiguous endings instead of the clear resolutions demanded in the black and white years of the 50’s.

You may never have heard of Lillian Gish (1893-1993) but surely you have heard of Robert Mitchum and Shelley Winters. I always knew Peter Graves (TV’s “Mission Impossible”) as an older man. In this film he played Ben Harper (the bank robber father) and was only 29 years old. Billy Chapin (John Harper, the son) had a small part in “Leave it to Beaver” and seems to have vanished.

At the very least you get to see and feel what small towns were like during the depression. It’s a bit like going to a museum to watch a “talkie”. I don’t regret the experience.

2010, Acceptable for children, Could be boring, Horror, Independent, Suspense

Monsters (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Six years after aliens invaded Earth, a security force maintains tenuous control in the Infected Zone straddling the U.S.-Mexican border. Andrew (Scoot McNairy), a photographer, is documenting this war-torn area when he’s interrupted by an unexpected rescue mission. Samantha (Whitney Able), daughter of a media mogul who just happens to be his boss, needs an escort home, and Andrew reluctantly takes on the job.

Only superficially is this a horror film. Rather it is more an independent film that is somewhat like a travelogue showing an American man and woman trying to get out of Mexico’s monster-infected region and back safely into the United States. Underlying the trip are his problems with his illigitimate son and her problems with her parents and her fiancee. Kids would be bored to death and if you do not like slow-paced films then you too can be bored to death. Yes, you get to see a monster or two, but it really doesn’t matter.

Probably the most impressive site was the gigantic Hadrian’s wall that has been constructed on the border between the U.S. and Mexico. For details about the many mistakes and the effort involved see the Wikipedia article.

2010, Acceptable for children, Based on true facts, Drama, Suspense, Trains

Unstoppable (2010)

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From NetFlix:

It’s a nail-biting race against time as an unmanned train carrying a load of lethal chemicals speeds out of control, and a conductor and engineer do everything in their power to keep it from derailing and killing tens of thousands of people. Denzel Washington leads the cast in Tony Scott’s tough-minded action thriller, in which a terrible circumstance forces a couple of ordinary men to become extraordinary heroes.

“The Perfect Storm” of human error leads to a train (not coasting, rather actually using power) going 70 mph carrying hazardous and explosive material through densely populated areas and headed for a treacherous 15mph-limit elevated curve right in the middle of a city.

Expecting nothing more than a glorified train wreck, I was pleasantly surprised to find a well-organized retelling of a real-life situation in Pennsylvania. If I knew more about trains and how they are scheduled, joined, side-tracked, etc, I might have enjoyed the film even more.

Mixed into the plot are personalities and their problems. Denzel Washington plays Denzel Washington as usual (at least he enunciates). Chris Pine (Brian Green in “Carriers”) has the next largest role and does well. Many of the other supporting actors you will recognize immediately. You will also easily separate the truly dedicated workers from the traditional screw-ups. Stay to watch the final credits because you get to see what happened to the real life characters, some of whom justly ended up in the “fast-food industry”.

Probably this film would do no harm to children (except scare them).

Hold on to your seats!

2006, Acceptable for children, Acceptable Trash, Comedy, Computer geeks, Flirting, Slapstick, Vulgar

The IT Crowd (2006)

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From NetFlix:

Enter the glamorous offices of Reynholm Industries, then take the elevator to the basement, where you’ll find the decidedly unglamorous IT support team: slacker Roy (Chris O’Dowd), social misfit Moss (Richard Ayoade) and technically ignorant supervisor Jen (Katherine Parkinson). Together, they find nerd-tastic adventures in this hilarious British sitcom from the producer of “The Office.” The program won a 2008 International Emmy for Best Comedy.

British slapstick is its own type of humor (or should I say “humour”): lots of yelling, pratfalls (although strictly speaking a “pratfall” is a fall to one’s buttocks), and references to excrement. But it is worth waiting for some really funny moments that make me LOL (for those of you on Medicare, “LOL” means “laugh out loud”).

One serious note: I marvel at the wonderfully clear speech enunciation of Chris O’Dowd and of British actors in general. O’Dowd is Irish.

Children might giggle at the bathroom humor.

I LOVE TRASH !

2010, Acceptable for children, Car Chase, Crime, Detective, Drama, Love Story, Prison, Suspense

The Next Three Days (2010)

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From NetFlix:

When his wife (Elizabeth Banks) is sent to jail on murder charges she fervidly denies, college professor John Brennan (Russell Crowe) comes up with a plan to break her out by meticulously plotting the ultimate escape — despite the fact that he’s never committed a crime in his life. Writer-producer Paul Haggis (Crash) also directs this remake of the French film Pour Elle by Fred Cavayé. Liam Neeson and Brian Dennehy co-star.

An old saying is “The Devil is in the Details”, and indeed this is a film about a desperate, intelligent man calmly plotting to extract his wife from prison without her realizing what he is planning. Frankly, I had to suspend disbelief because it does not seem possible that the character John Brennan could have successfully executed his scheme. Of course I was rooting for the family to escape from the United States, justifying my cheering for the bad guy because after all the wife was supposed to be innocent. Indeed that is one of the threads of the story: did she or did she not murder that woman ? Watch carefully at the very end where the detective who originally prosecuted her is ruminating over the murder case and … but I don’t want to spoil a really exasperating and clever detail.

Russell Crowe plays Russell Crowe: “Speak softly and carry a big stick” (attributed to Theodore Rossevelt). Russell should lose some weight.

Acceptable for children. Ignore the impossibilities and just enjoy the chase!

2010, Acceptable for children, Biographical, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Feel Good For All

The King’s Speech (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Britain’s King George VI (Colin Firth) struggles with an embarrassing stutter for years until he seeks help from unorthodox Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) in this biographical drama, which received multiple Golden Globe nods, including Best Picture. Logue’s pioneering treatment and unlikely friendship give the royal leader a sense of confidence that serves him and his country well during the dark days of World War II.

Quite possibly Colin Firth’s best film yet. His pairing with Geoffrey Rush is a perfect match and makes for very moving movie making. Definitely a feel-good film suitable for all (WARNING: there is a lot of yelling of curse words as part of Logue’s methodology).

There are some notable blasts from the past: Derek Jacobi (“I Claudius”) is the archbishop of Canterbury; Guy Pearce is George’s brother, the king who abdicated to marry a twice divorced American woman from Baltimore; Clair Bloom is Queen Mary; Anthony Andrews is Stanley Baldwin.

For me this is a “don’t miss” film!

2006, Acceptable for children, Acceptable Trash, Comedy, Flirting, Made For TV, Sci-Fi

Eureka (2006)

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From NetFLix:

The premiere season of this quirky sci-fi series kicks off with stranded U.S. Marshal Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson) wandering into a remote town populated by geniuses, a not-so-sleepy hamlet harboring a slew of government secrets and bizarre mysteries. Assuming the duties of sheriff, Carter navigates the strange goings on in Eureka, including alien abductions, control-freak computers, poisonous pollens and more.

NetFlix offers 4 seasons in 5 packages. Season 3 has parts A and B. Season 1 was a package of 3 DVDs.

Think Warehouse 13 (2009) and you get the flavor of a mixture of (probably very bad) science and comedy. In Eureka Sheriff Jack Carter does friendly battle with his rebellious daughter following his separation from his wife. And he flirts with the not-yet-divorced wife of the directory of the science foundation. There are lots of funny comments: “Do you dream of world domination ? – Well, not all the time.” Not to be taken seriously. It’s just fun sci-fi from the SyFy channel.

Note that Saul Rubinek, who was one of the main characters (Artie Nielson) in “Warehouse 13”, has a part in one of the Season 1 episodes.

2009, Acceptable for children, Biographical, Drama, Sports, Underdogs win

Invictus (2009)

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From NetFlix:

In this drama based on real-life events, director Clint Eastwood tells the story of what happened after the end of apartheid when newly elected president Nelson Mandela used the 1995 World Cup rugby matches to unite his people in South Africa. Based on John Carlin’s book, the film stars Morgan Freeman as Mandela and Matt Damon (both Oscar nominated) as Francois Pienaar, the captain of the scrappy South African team that makes a run for the championship

Invictus is a short Victorian poem by the English poet William Ernest Henley. The text is as follows:

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gait,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Nelson Mandela used this poem as a personal prayer to see him through 30 years of imprisonment. “Invictus” means “unconquered”.

As a piece of art, the film is mediocre. There may be at least 5 scrums too many. It would help if you understood the game of rugby. Matt Damon is adequate. Morgan Freeman is perfect as Mandela. See Wikipedia for critical reviews.

When the plane flies low over the stadium, you are supposed to read something written on its lower side: “Good luck, Bokke!”

Despite all these comments, I found the film to be inspiring and meaningful.