Category: Uncategorized

My score: 6/10. Finding out someone’s true identity when it doesn’t mesh with the one you know can be a shock. That’s what we learned from this small family in a small town where someone is not who he says he is. Can you blame that character for just wanting peace?

A History of Violence (2005)
R | 1h 36min | Crime, Drama, Thriller | 30 September 2005 (USA)

A mild-mannered man becomes a local hero through an act of violence, which sets off repercussions that will shake his family to its very core.
Director: David Cronenberg
Writers: John Wagner (graphic novel), Vince Locke (graphic novel) | 1 more credit »
Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris

David Cronenberg is the director here and he does a great job establishing the couple and son as a happy innocent family. You wouldn’t expect anything gory as you may usually from him but there are a few scenes later on where he shows his stuff tat way. Still, this is just a drama/thriller that doesn’t include too many special effects or too much latex. We see that Cronenberg can tell a story that makes the audience churn.

Viggo Mortenson’s character is married to Maria Bello’s. They have a son who it seems might be a step-son. As the story unfolds we find out he can handle a gun and the mob seems to know of him. That’s where the plot begins to squeeze you. Ed Harris plays a wicked mob leader who appears to have ben injured by Mortenson’s character. As a result, he wants to take him out of town. His family and the sherrif are all baffled because he has seemed to be a good old boy as long as they have known him.

He has some open chapters to close so he leaves town to do that. That’s where the excitement really begins. I give this film a 6/10 because I thought the love-making scenes were a lottle forced and unnecessary. I don’t think the rest of the film lived up to its potential.

You can’t keep what once was, but you can smile because it happened. (borrowed heavily from Dr. Seuss) Be comfortable with the flow of change, the permanence of change. Be elated at times as you travel that lonesome highway. Don’t think about the betrayals, relish the companions. That’s your deal man, the last fair deal going down. Betrayed people are also welcome to have this notion.

from Damien Riley’s Blog https://blog.damienriley.com/another-way-of-looking-at-it/
via IFTTT

My score: 10/10. This is mostly a tale based on a true story that shows the individual challenge after the bombing at the Boston Marathon. Movies about tragedies often concentrate on the upswell of motivation for a city, like Boston or New York, and how the citizens banded together, as in 911, to become strong and able to defeat the enemy or criminal that caused the problem. This one is less like that and more like shining a light on one victim and his rugged path to survive.

Stronger (2017)
R | 1h 59min | Biography, Drama | 29 September 2017 (USA)

Stronger is the inspiring real life story of Jeff Bauman, an ordinary man who captured the hearts of his city and the world to become a symbol of hope after surviving the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
Director: David Gordon Green
Writers: John Pollono (screenplay by), Jeff Bauman (based on the book “Stronger” by) | 1 more credit »
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Tatiana Maslany, Miranda Richardson

Our director here is David Gordon Green who has directed different sorts of films. “Prince Avalanche” starring Paul Rudd is one example. His films tend to focus o the individual more than the big picture. He really threw a swoosh with this one in my opinion. One aspect of the film is to show the inherent selfishness in some slogans and corporeal recovery campaigns. How good is it to be “Boston Strong” when you have no legs? These are simply alternative ideas that come up, they aren’t preached at all.

The crux of this story is the relationship between Jake Gyllenhaal’s character and Tatiana Maslay’s. The were an on-again off-again couple when Jake’s character tried rekindling their relationship. This happened a few days before the bombing. Her main gripe with him wa sthat he “never shows up for anything.” She halfway-jokingly says, if he wants to be with her he can start by “showing up at the finish line” of the Boston Marathon she has trained to run.

As a result of him showing up, he randomly happens to be standing in a place where the bomb blows his legs off. Without getting into too much detail, the movie is his journey from that point. This is a great film as a relationship study as well as a study in recovery from profound, violent trauma. I greatly enjoyed this film and gave it a 10/10.

My score: 8/10. An eccentric 90-something aged man goes through his routine as the camera goes with him. It’s a similar concept to “The Straight Story” if you’ve seen that. However this one is a little more bare-bones. There is no conflict or odyssey. In this case, we are left wonderig what Lucky’s life was about. That’s what makes it special and probably a unique experience to each viewer. WE remember life through his character.

Lucky (2017)
Not Rated | 10min | Comedy, Drama | 29 September 2017 (USA)

The spiritual journey of a ninety-year-old atheist.
Director: John Carroll Lynch
Writers: Logan Sparks (screenplay), Drago Sumonja (screenplay)
Stars: Harry Dean Stanton, David Lynch, Ron Livingston

John Carroll Lynch is our director here. He is a phenomenal actor you may remember from “Fargo,” “Gothika,” “Zodiac” and “The Founder.” This film seems like a very meaningful piece of art he has bestowed upon us. It is very well staged and directed.

The film is slow at times and since the lead actor is in his 90’s there isn’t a lot of raucous western suspense. It’s more like a film to think about while watching and afterward. The cinematography and western desert setting are peaceful, tranquil, and serene. While not for everyone, I do recommend this film. It was enjoyable to watch. I give it 8/10.