INFERNO

Movie:  Inferno
Jan's Rating:  D
Time:  2 hours

Jan's Review:  My husband and I went to see this movie and neither one of us liked it.  Tom Hanks did a good job acting but we didn't like the story or the violence.  Tom Hanks wakes up in a hospital in Italy with amnesia, and teams up with his doctor (played by Felicity Jones) to help recover his memory.  Together they race across Europe to stop a madman from unleashing a virus that could wipe out half the population.

SULLY

Movie:  Sully
Jan's Rating:  A
Time:  1 hour 36 mins.

Jan's Review:  Just got home from seeing "Sully" with my husband and sister and we all thoroughly enjoyed this movie.  I'm sure you remember back in January 2009 when a US Air passenger jet with 155 people aboard landed on the Hudson River, and all survived, thanks to the excellent pilot skills of "Sully" Sullenberger.  What the public didn't know at the time was the horrible ordeal he was put through because the NTSB wanted to call it pilot error, which would have ended Sully's career with no pension.  They said he could have made it to LaGuadia airport, when in actuality he had no choice but to land on the Hudson River, and is a hero to all those people aboard because miraculously no one was killed, only a few scrapes.  He was able to prove to them that it was impossible for him to make it to any airport.  The survivors all send him Christmas cards now.  It was a heart-warming sight watching New York's finest rescuing all those people from the plane, just like they did on 9-11.  This movie is definitely worth seeing!

BRIDGET JONES BABY

Movie:  Bridget Jones Baby
Jan's Rating:  B
Time:  2 hours 5 mins.

Jan's Review:  I am a fan of Renee Zellweger and happy to see she is making movies again.  I thoroughly enjoyed the other Bridget Jones movies and this one was no exception.  Bridgett finds herself over 40 and still single so decides to concentrate on her job as a top news producer.  A co-worker talks her into taking a vacation with her and convinces her that she just needs some sex in her life.  So, while on this little vacation, where they lived in tents, she meets Patrick Dempsey (every woman's dream man) and has a one-night stand with him, which was enjoyed by both.  She goes back to work and an old boyfriend (Colin Firth) comes back into her life and they have sex, but she decides it didn't work last time, so she doesn't want to try again.  Then she finds out she is pregnant and has to tell both men they might be the father.  The rest of the movie is the best part so I won't give away what happens.  You go see it and find out for yourself.  :-)

DEEPWATER HORIZON

Movie:  Deepwater Horizon
Jan's Rating:  C-
Time:  1 hour 47 minutes

Jan's Review:  The previews of this movie looked really good on TV but I was very disappointed when I saw it yesterday.  It is the true story of a Gulf oil rig explosion which is one of the biggest man-made disasters ever to happen.  I can't even imagine how horrible it must have been for the workers on that rig, all because BP skipped some important steps to save money.  There was good acting in the movie, especially by Kurt Russell and Mark Wahlberg.  However, they spent way too much time showing you all the gauges, and how they worked, which would only be interesting to anyone who had worked on an oil rig.  My friend, Gloria, slept through most of the movie.  When the oil starting seeping onto the rig and then caught fire, it was very traumatic, but the fire scene lasted forever.  They were lucky that they only lost a few of their workers, which was bad enough, but with a fire like that, you would have thought they all would have died.  On a good note, I do plan to see two good movies next week, so stay tuned!

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

Movie:  Magnificent Seven
Jan's Rating:  C-
Time:  2 hours 13 minutes

Jan's Review:  I probably shouldn't rate this movie since I am not a fan of westerns.  However, my sister loves westerns, so took her to see this one yesterday.  I dozed off twice.  She loved it.  I did not love it.  Greedy Bart Bogue tries to take over Rose Creek, offering residents $20 for their land.  When they would not sell, he killed a lot of them. (This is not a loving, feel-good movie.)  The wife of one of the men killed, Emma Cullen, turned to Sam Chisolm (played by Denzel Washington) to help the town, and he recruits an eclectic group of gunslingers to help the people save their town from greedy Bart.  There is a lot of blood shed, so if you like that sort of thing, by all means go see it.  The best part was when Emma shot Bart in the end (literally).

HELL OR HIGH WATER

Movie:  Hell or High Water
Jan's Rating:  B+ (and her husband agrees)
Time:  102 Minutes

Jan's Review:  My husband and I both really enjoyed this movie, lots of action with a sentimental side also.  Chris Pine and Ben Foster play two brothers who are desperate to save the family farm.  Ben's character was away at prison for several years while Chris's character stayed home and took care of their dying mother, during which time Chris is divorced from his wife and 2 sons.  Chris wants to save the farm for his ex-wife and sons so that they can live there and his sons won't turn out as bad as he is.  Jeff Bridges plays a Texas Ranger who is supposed to have just retired but can't go fishing until he catches the brothers and stops the bank robberies.

CRIMINAL

Movie:  Criminal
Jan's Rating:  D
Time:  Approx. 2 hours

Jan's Review:  This review will be short and to the point:  This movie is about an international conspiracy starring Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, and Ryan Reynolds.  How can a movie with these excellent actors be bad you ask?  I asked myself the same thing.  It was full of extreme violence and blood, and that is not entertainment to me.  If that's the type movie you like, then you would like it.  Surprisingly, my husband agrees with me on this movie.  Neither one of us liked it.

JASON BOURNE

Movie:  Jason Bourne
Rating:  B
Time:  2 Hours

Jan's Review:  My husband and I saw this movie yesterday.  We had seen the previous Jason Bourne movies and enjoyed them, but though this one started out slow, getting the story line out there, the rest of the movie had us sitting on the edge of our seats!  I was exhausted when it was over, felt like I had been running from the CIA!  Matt Damon did an excellent job, as did Tommy Lee Jones.  I did read a lot of bad reviews on this movie but we enjoyed it.

HILLARY'S AMERICA: The Secret History of the Democratic Party

Movie:  Hillary's America
Jan's Raing:  A
Time:  2 Hours

Jan's Review:  First of all, I was very disappointed that there were only 12 people in the viewing that my friend, Fran, and I went to see.  I highly recommend that all Democrat's and Republican's make a point to see this movie before they go to the polls in November.  It has nothing to do with whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, but everything to do with not having corrupt people running our country.  I am more frightened now than I was before I saw the movie.  New York Times #1 Best Selling author and filmmaker, Dinesh D'Souza reveals the truth about Hillary and the secret history of the Democratic party, and how the Clinton's (and other Democrats) see foreign policy in terms of personal profit rather than national interest.  I beg you to see this movie, and if you still want to vote for Hillary, you deserve what you get.

RAILWAY MAN

Movie:  Railway Man
Jan's Rating:  B+
Time:  108 Minutes

Jan's Review:  A friend told me that he had seen Railway Man and that Dave and I should try to rent it.  Well, could not find it to rent anywhere but was able to buy it at BestBuy.com.  I think everyone should see this movie just so they would appreciate our Veterans more.  It really opens your eyes.  It is a true story of Eric Lomax (played by Colin Firth) who was a British Army Officer during WW-II, and the Japanese soldier that almost beat him to death in a prison camp.  It was actually hard to watch, and find it hard to believe that anyone could treat another human with such violence.  After the war, Eric Lomax married Patti (played by Nicole Kidman) and she soon saw how deeply her husband had been affected by those beatings, though she knew nothing about them.  He probably had the worst case of PTSD ever recorded.  She learned of his beatings through a friend who had served in the same war with her husband.  They found out that the Japanese soldier who had nearly beat him to death, was still alive, and giving tours through the same prison camp in Singapore where Eric had been a prisoner of war.  Eric makes the decision to go to Singapore and confront his worst enemy.  I won't tell you the rest because I think you should see it for yourself.

THE LADY IN THE VAN

Movie:  The Lady in the Van
Jan's Rating:  C+
Time:  1 Hour 44 Minutes

Jan's Review:

This one left the theaters before I got to see it so I rented it on Time Warner yesterday so my sister and I could watch it.  The best part of this movie is Maggie Smith's acting!  She is brilliant!  It is a true story of "Miss Shepherd", played by Maggie Smith, who is homeless and parks her van in a nice neighborhood on the streets but the police keep making her move, so she befriends one of the homeowners and asks if she can park her van in his driveway, telling him she is ill and just has 3 months to live, so he agrees to this and she ends up staying there for 15 years!  The homeowner is Alan Bennett, a playwright in England, and he wrote this story about Miss Shepherd living in his driveway all those years.  The actors have very strong British accents, making it difficult to understand what they are saying most of the time, and the most difficult for me to understand was having two Alan Bennett's in the movie.  Are they twin brothers, or is one the alter ego?  Didn't figure this out until the end. I would not watch it again, but Maggie Smith was wonderful!

BRIDGE OF SPIES

Movie:  Bridge of Spies
Jan's Rating:  B
Time:  2 hours 21 minutes\

Jan's Review:

This movie is taken from a true story that happened in 1957 when lawyer James Donovan, played brilliantly by Tom Hanks, was recruited by the CIA and involved in intense negotiations to exchange a spy plane pilot, Francis Powers, who was shot down and arrested, for K&B spy Rudolf Abel.  My husband and I rented this movie and thoroughly enjoyed it.

BURNT

Movie:  Burnt
Rating:  B
Time:  1 hour 41 minutes

Jan's Review:

"Burnt" stars Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller and Emma Thompson.  It is another movie I missed when it was in the theaters, so we rented it from TWC and enjoyed it very much.  Bradley Cooper stars as a high-strung chef who knows what he is doing but has no patience if someone in his kitchen makes the smallest mistake.  He is starting over at a posh restaurant, trying to prove himself as the worthy chef that he really is.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

THE INTERN

Movie:  The Intern
Jan's Rating:  A
Time:  2 hours

Jan's Review:

We missed this movie when it was in the theaters so we rented it last night from TWC.  If you haven't seen it, you will want to rent it too.  We thoroughly enjoyed it.  Robert DeNiro plays a 70-year old man who has retired and is bored to death, so wants to go back to work.  He finds a job as a Senior Intern for an on-line fashion company, owned by Anne Hathaway's character.  You will learn about his life, her life, and the ups and downs they encounter as they learn to respect one another and start working well together.  It was definitely worth renting!

BROOKLYN

Movie:  Brooklyn
Jan's Rating:  A+
Time:  1 hour 45 minutes

Jan's Review:

I saw this movie today and absolutely LOVED it!  It is the best movie I've seen in a long time, and some of the best acting I have seen also.  There are no well-known actors in the movie but it is so good, you don't even miss them.  The story is about a young Irish girl (maybe 20?) who can't find a decent job in Ireland, so she leaves her mother and sister and sails to the United States where a priest has found her a job in an exclusive department store in Brooklyn....hence. the name of the movie. She lives in a boarding house with other young women and you watch her try to "fit in" and all the trials and tribulations she goes through.  Then she is called back to Ireland for a wake.  Will she return to the United States or not??  Go see the movie and find out.  You will laugh and you will cry.  You don't want to miss this one.

A WALK IN THE WOODS

Movie:  A Walk in the Woods
Rating:  C
Time:  1 hour 44 minutes

Jan's Review:

My husband and I rented this movie from TWC last night.  It stars Robert Redford, (who is married to Emma Thompson's character), and Nick Nolte.  First of all, I have to say that these men have not aged well, though I give them credit for not having plastic surgery done.  Robert Redford plays a successful writer who wants to do something interesting and invigorating with his life before he gets any older, and decides to hike the Appalachian Trail.  His wife doesn't want him to do this alone so he asks some of his old school mates, and the only one interested is Nick Nolte's character, who is known for being an old drunk.  So, off they go with heavy backpacks to hike the Appalachian Trail. The story is predictable but also entertaining watching the challenges they face as senior citizens and long-time friends.  This movie is not an academy-award winner but we still enjoyed it.

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY, PART 2

Movie:  Hunger Games:  Mockingjay, Part 2
Jan's Rating:  D
Time:  2 hours 16 minutes

Jan's Review:

My grandson went with me to see this movie and we were both very disappointed.  We had seen the other two movies and loved them, so had high expectations for the finale, but what a letdown!  It was so boring, we were both glad when it was over.  My advice is.... don't waste your money on this movie.  Jennifer Lawrence was excellent as usual but the story line was definitely lacking.

JOY

Movie:  Joy
Rating:  B+
Time:  2 hours 4 minutes

Jan's Review:  This movie is based on a true story of the young woman, played by Jennifer Lawrence, who invented the Miracle Mop.  It shows all the struggles she had to go through as a single mother with no money, trying to get loans to patent this mop and get it on QVC.  Besides this being a full-time job, her whole family depends on her for everything.  To begin with, they all live with her.  Besides her 2 children, this includes her mother, her father (divorced from her mother). her grandmother, and her ex-husband!  She has more patience than I do!  Robert DiNero plays her father, who finds himself a wealthy girlfriend, who loans part of the money to Jennifer.  Bradley Cooper plays the person on QVC who decides whether the mop goes on TV or not.  I thought this movie was a comedy, but it isn't.  However, It is a very good movie and explains what this poor woman went through to get the mop on TV, then the manufacturer raises their price so high that she is losing money, so she finally gets fed up, goes to Texas where these mops are supposedly being produced, and raises hell like any respectable woman would do.  My sister, Judy, and friend, Gloria, went with me and they also enjoyed the movie.

SPECTRA

Movie:  Spectra
              Starring Daniel Craig as James Bond
Jan's Rating:  B- ........ Dave's Rating:  A
Time:  138 Minutes

Dave's Review:  I saw this movie with my wife, Jan, and I think I enjoyed it more than she did.  She mentioned something about it being predictable.  However, she is allowing me to write the review on this movie since I am the James Bond fan.  I am a James Bond movie fan and that includes the movies that are predictable.  I have seen all of these movies and applaud the family that owns the rights to James Bond.
The stunts are great beginning with the opening stunt which always sets the tempo for the movie. The actor playing the role of "M" is a breath of fresh air and just compliments the James Bond character. As always, the story line is secondary to the scenery, the female lead and the action.  This format allows the viewer to sit back, buckle up and just enjoy two hours of fun with '007."
It is almost a shame that two years must go by before the next; "Bond.....James Bond."

NO ESCAPE

Movie:  No Escape
Rating:  D-
Time:  103 minutes

Jan's Review:  I know, I know, I have fallen behind in putting movies I have seen on my blog.  However, I am just 3 movies behind, so will start with the first one, "No Escape", starring Owen Wilson.  I saw this movie because I like Owen Wilson, but ended up hating the movie.  I do not like movies where children or animals' lives are in danger, and in this movie, it was two little girls who I worried about.  Owen Wilson plays the role of a man who has been transferred by his company to Cambodia, so he, his wife, and their two little girls arrive in Cambodia all excited about the new lives they will build there.  Shortly after their arrival, rebels kill the Prime Minister and also want to kill Owen Wilson's character, plus two other American families who have been transferred there.  So you spend the whole movie on the edge of your seat, worried that the rebels are going to catch and kill Owen, his wife, and their two little girls, ages approximately 5 & 6 years old.  The best part of the movie was near the end where one of the rebels has put a gun in one of the little girl's hands and is trying to make her shoot her daddy.  Well, as all mothers know, you don't mess with a mother's child, and all of a sudden the little girl's mother shows up behind the rebel holding her daughter and she hits him in the back of the head and kills him.  That is the only reason I gave the movie a D- instead of an F.