Monday, September 7, 2015

Ricki and the Flash

Movie:  Ricki and the Flash
Jan's Rating:  A
Time:  1 hour 42 minutes

Jan's Opinion:  I saw this movie today with my hubby and my sister and we all three loved it!  You have probably seen the previews on TV where Meryl Streep plays Ricki, and The Flash is her band. She sings and strums the heck out of that guitar!  She left her husband (Kevin Kline) and children years ago to pursue a career singing.  She and her band play in a bar in California while her ex-husband and his new wife rear the children in a beautiful home in Indianapolis.  One day Ricki gets a call from her ex-husband saying their daughter (played by Mamie Gunner, Meryl Streep's real daughter) is very depressed because her husband left her for another woman, and the daughter needs Ricki, so she flies to Indianapolis to try to console her daughter, who now hates her after all the years without her.  Her two sons have no love for her either, thus begins the healing process between Ricki and her daughter and two sons.  From the previews, I thought this movie was a comedy, but it is about a family who loses their way and then tries to mend relationships.  Excellent movie!

Sunday, August 9, 2015

WOMAN IN GOLD

Movie:  Woman in Gold
Jan's Rating:  C
Time:  1 hour 49 minutes

Jan's Opinion:  Helen Mirren plays a woman who is trying to recover her family's possessions seized by the Nazi's in Austria during WW-II.  Ryan Reynolds plays her attorney.  They both were excellent in their roles but I did dose off a couple of times as they kept switching back and forth from present time to the past.  It was just OK, would not want to see it again. 

Sunday, July 5, 2015

THE JUDGE

Movie:  The Judge
Jan's Rating:  A
Time:  2 hours 21 minutes

Jan's Opinion:  I bought another movie that I missed when it was in the theaters.  Actually, I didn't think I would like it, but Dave wanted to see it so I decided to give it a chance, and I'm glad I did. We both thought it was an excellent movie, and excellent acting.  Robert DuVall and Robert Downey Jr. play father and son and both are judges.  They have never gotten along because one is as stubborn as the other.....but you know they love each other.  They have been estranged for years, but when Robert DuVall's wife dies, Robert Downey Jr. does the right thing and goes home to his mother's funeral. Right after the funeral, his father is arrested for murder so of course he stays to defend him.  What transpires during this time will have you angry at them, and crying for them.  It really is a wonderful story.

Saturday, June 27, 2015

THE BOOK THIEF

Title:  The Book Thief
Jan's Rating:  A
Time:  2 Hours 10 Mins.

Jan's Opinion:  This is another movie that I didn't see when it was at the theater so I bought it and Dave and I watched it today.  We both loved it and gave it an "A".  The leading role is played by a young girl named Sophie Ne'lisse., who did an outstanding job portraying "Liesel", who is adopted by a German couple when her mother can no longer care for her.  The movie chronicles the years that Hitler was in command, 1938-1945.  The couple who adopt Liesel also takes in a young Jewish man and hides him in their basement.  You will alternately laugh and cry during this movie.  We loved it!

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

SPY

Movie:  Spy
Jan's Rating:  B+
Time:  2 Hours

Jan's Opinion:  My friend, Laura, and I saw this movie yesterday and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  As I have said before, the movie would have been better with less "F" words, which is why I gave it a B+ instead of an A.  The movie stars Melissa McCarthy and Jude Law who work for the CIA.  Melissa McCarthy plays the role of Susan Cooper, who was hired as a CIA agent but has been stuck on a desk job in the basement of their headquarters for years.  Now the CIA has learned that Jude Law's character has been killed and they need someone to take his place who isn't known by the enemy.  Of course, "Susan Cooper" volunteers to go undercover and take down a deadly arms dealer.  And, so the action begins!  Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

5 FLIGHTS UP

Title:  5 Flights Up
Jan's Rating:  B-
Time:  1 hour 30 Mins.

Jan's Opinion:  I read about this movie recently and knew I wanted to see it.  I couldn't find it playing at any of the theaters but I did find it on Time Warner Cable's movie guide so Dave and I watched it last night.  Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton play a couple who has been married 40 years, live in an apartment in NY on the 5th floor and there's no elevator.  They decided they are too old to climb all those steps anymore so decide to put their apartment up for sale and look for another one in a building that has an elevator.  If you like these actors, you will like the movie.  It's a cute movie to see one time.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

BLACK OR WHITE

Movie:  Black or White
Jan's Rating:  B
Time:  2 Hours 1 minute

Jan's Opinion:  This is another movie that we didn't get to see when it was in the theaters so I purchased it and Dave and I watched it last night and enjoyed it very much - not our favorite movie of all times, but definitely enjoyable.  Kevin Costner plays the part of Elliott, a man who has just lost his wife due to a tragic car accident, and leaves him to raise his granddaughter (about 8 years old) alone.  Elliott's daughter died during childbirth and the father of the baby (who is African American) never contacted him and his wife so a lot of hard feelings prevail.  When Elliott's wife dies, the other grandmother, Rowena (played by Octavia Spencer), decided to sue for custody, and so the battle begins as to who is the most fit parent for this beautiful smart little girl.

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

HOT PURSUIT

Movie:  Hot Pursuit
Jan's Rating:  B
Time:  1 hour 27 minutes

Jan's Opinion:  I saw this movie yesterday with my friend, Laura, and we both enjoyed it in spite of the bad reviews.  Granted, it is not an academy award winning picture but light and funny and just what we were in the mood to see.  Reese Weatherspoon is a strickly-by-the-book cop because she wants to be as good a cop as her father had been.  She has been assigned to protect a sexy and outgoing widow (played by Sofia Vergara) from a drug boss as they race through Texas being pursued by murderous gunmen and crooked cops.  It was worth our time and we were glad we went.

Sunday, May 10, 2015

St. Vincent

Movie:  St. Vincent
Jan's Rating:  A
Time:  1 hour 40 mins.

Jan's Opinion:  First of all, I'm sorry I haven't been on here for awhile but there just haven't been any movies out that I really wanted to see.  However, I did miss seeing St. Vincent when it was out so I bought it at Target last week and Dave and I watched it last night.  I have to tell you, this is my kind of movie.  We both loved it!  Melissa McCarthy and her son move in next door to Bill Murray, who plays a crotchety old man who drinks and gambles too much.  Out of desperation, Melissa has to ask Bill to watch her son when she works late, which is often.  He and the son become close as he introduces the boy to all his haunts.  The boy is wise beyond his years and soon understands Bill better than Bill does himself.  It was a heart-warming story about love and trust, makes you laugh and cry, and has the best ending I have seen in a long time.  Oh, and I can't forget Naomi Watts who is excellent at playing Bill Murray's "lady of the night"!  Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

UNBROKEN

Movie:  Unbroken
Jan's Rating:  A
Time:  2 hours 17 minutes

Jan's Opinion:  This is the third true story of a war movie that I have seen in 2 months.  I did not get a chance to see Unbroken when it was in the theaters so Dave and I rented it last night and finally got to see it.  First of all, I have to say that if I had known how brutal the movie was, I would not have rented it.  I gave it an "A" rating because it does tell the true story of how it was during WW-II and how our soldiers suffered at the hands of the Japanese.  This was the true story of Louis (Louie) Zamperini, who died last year at age 97.  Jack O'Connell played the role very well of Louie in the movie.  Angelina Jolie directed the movie.  I couldn't help thinking of Senator McCain as I watched this movie, knowing that he suffered this same in-humane treatment at the hands of the Japanese soldiers for 5 years!  And he never gave them any information that they wanted.  I also couldn't help thinking that after he gave up 5 years of his life and suffered greatly for our country, that there were actually people who thought he wouldn't make a good president.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

Movie:  The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Time:  2 hours 2 minutes
Jan's Rating:  B+

Jan's Opinion:  Dave and I saw this movie yesterday with our neighbor and friend, Neal Jeffries.  We all thoroughly enjoyed the movie.  I did feel there were a few more laughs in the first movie, which is why I gave this one a B+ instead of an A, but with the characters in it, you can't help but enjoy it. Maggie Smith is hilarious with her no-nonsense humor, and Judy Dench is delightful as she tries to pretend she isn't falling in love. Sonny, played by Dev Patel, the young Indian man in the last movie, owns the hotel and he is a hoot!  He plans to expand the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel while planning his wedding to beautiful Sunaina, and finds he is failing miserably at both.  However, all works out in the end.  Richard Gere is in this movie and has an important role, which I won't disclose as it will ruin the ending for you.  My advice is, go see it, you will love it too!

Sunday, January 18, 2015

AMERICAN SNIPER

Movie:  American Sniper
Jan's Rating:  B-
Time:  2 hours 14 mins.

Jan's Opinion:  My husband and I saw this movie yesterday and he gave it a C.  We both thought the war scenes with the shooting went a bit longer than necessary.  Just our opinion.  This is probably Bradley Cooper's best role, portraying Chris Kyle, a Navy Seal, who loved his country so much that he went to Iraq for 4 tours, leaving his wife at home to raise their son and daughter.  This movie is taken from a true story about a Navy Seal, who became the most lethal sniper in American history. Chris Kyle died recently at age 38 while helping a fellow serviceman.  We did enjoy the movie, just thought it went a big long.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

THE HUNGER GAMES, MOCKINGJAY, PART I

Movie:  The Hunger Games, Mockingjay, Part I
Jan's Rating:  A
Time:  2 hours 3 minutes

Jan's Opinion:  First of all, I'm sorry I haven't been on my blog lately but frankly, there haven't been any movies I have wanted to see.  Shame on Hollywood for just making movies for teenagers - we seniors like movies too!  I have to admit to being a fan of The Hunger Games.  I have seen all three with my grandson and I understand there is one more coming out before the series ends.  Yesterday, we saw Mockingjay, Part I, which was a cliff hanger, and now we have to wait for Part II to see how it ends.  I am hoping for the demise of the evil President Snow (Donald Sutherland).  This movie starts with Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) waking up to find that her home, District 12, has been destroyed, and that Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) is now brainwashed and held captive by President Snow. Katniss agrees to be "Mockingjay" and help end the war with President Snow.  My grandson and I both enjoyed the movie, and I commented to him that Jennifer Lawrence must have been exhausted after a day of shooting this movie!  Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.