The Imitation Game

Yet again over a month since I’ve been here. Time flies so fast. But I’m back and I want to say a word or two about The Imitation Game.

I didn’t know who Alan Turing was. And to tell you the truth I went to see this movie because Benedict Cumberbatch was playing the leading role. I’m not into mathematics or science.

But I’m very happy I did went to see The Imitation Game. The movie was entertaining and intriguing. It was touching and it made me mad. Such a huge unfairness, a brutal destiny of a man with a great talent. What a shame for those who forced him to live like that. It’s always hard when a person can’t be who he truly wants to be.

Benedict Cumberbatch gives a superbly brilliant, talented and nuanced performance and I think that he’s great, just great. Simply because of that I enjoyed the movie. But it was a great story too.

I have no bad things to say about The Imitation Game. It gave me moments of joy and sorrow. It gave entertainment and a portrait of an intelligent, and fairly unknown man. It’s good that this movie was made. I’m sure that today many more people know who Alan Turing was.

Interstellar

Last sunday I went to the movies with my son and we went to see Interstellar, this time it was my choice.

Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar is a movie full of Hollywood pathos. It’s also beautiful, touching and makes you think of what’s coming in the future. Is the earth going to be inviable? When you think about it, we’re talking about big issues here.

In addition to all of that, Interstellar was very entertaining. Both me and my son sat in our chairs, staired the movie, completely focused on what’s happening on the screen. Visually beautiful scenes and interesting plot. It didn’t bother us that the movie was nearly three hours long. I didn’t actually know (all the time, there were some elements that were predictable) what was going to happen nor how would the movie end. It was refreshing.

I have growing respect for Matthew McConaughey. Lately his roles and performances have been quite amazing.

I love Anne Hathaway.

And Michael Caine, well, he’s a legend.

I think Interstellar was much better than Gravity.

Dracula Untold

I had to choose a movie that would interest my husband and I chose Dracula Untold.

I’m not a huge fan of vampire movies, but sometimes circumstances drift into such situation that I have to see them. This was such a time.

Dracula Untold was well made visually. Other that that, well, it was above mediocre. Towards the end it got a bit corny and bloody, of course.

I have no criterion to compare Dracula Untold to another vampire movies, but I think that this was not the best one. In those movies that I have seen, Dracula has been less human, in Dracula Untold he was. He chose the best of other before his own needs and wanted to save his family.

No fantastic experiences or emotions. I saw, it ended, I got out, now I can forget about it.

Lucy

When I saw the preview of the movie Lucy I thought it would be interesting. I like movies where women are heroines, strong and fearless. So, yesterday I went to see Lucy with my son.

The beginning of the movie was okay. I’m not a big fan of Scarlett Johansson, but in this movie she was splended as cold, heartless  and impassive woman, you could see her transformation. And it’s always a pleasure to listen to the beautiful, soothing voice of Morgan Freeman. Those were the good things in Lucy, but…

What were those clips about wild animals, nature and dividing cells between scenes? They just disturbed me and I don’t see the point of them. And the ending? What a disappointment. It just was too weird and too sci-fi for me. I was gutted, I admit.

When the movie ended my son said to me “This was one of the weirdest movies I’ve seen in a while”. It was and not in a good way.

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

First thing that comes to my mind when I think about Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes is the stunning realization. The apes were so realistic that I had to remind myself that those apes were not real apes.

Another good thing about this movie was that, in my opinion, it has a message. The human race has good people and bad people. Other species has both too. And you can’t automatically assume that the other is better than another. Respect is the point.

I couldn’t help but compare this movie to the earlier movie, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, with James Franco. Dawn was a little diffrent, but these two movies both have a message and I liked them both equally.

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes was a little bit above mediocre. It was entertaining, had a message and it was visually beautiful. It offered  entertainment for two hours, but still, to me, it was not the best movie of the year. It was okay.

Edge of Tomorrow

A lot of noise, chaos, big guns, combat, ugly aliens and the same day over and over again, that was Edge of Tomorrow.

Edge of Tomorrow was a positive surprise. In the beginnig I wasn’t so sure about the movie but after a (very short) while I was fully focused. Edge of Tomorrow was much smarter, sharper and funnier than I expected it to be. The movie was made with a twinkle in the eye, with tongue in cheek, I might say. It had humor and some good action.

Tom Cruise is still very believable as an action hero and he seems ageless. I like him more now when has more edge and some wrinkles in his eyes, when he’s not too smooth and slick. However, he has played several similar roles over the past few years, but let’s not hold it agains him. He has managed to stay on top for many years.

Emily Blunt was also good as a warrior woman with arms that I envy. I like female roles that are strong and invincible. The always make me feel that I can do anything.

I’m not a fan of sci-fi-films (although I’ve seen many) but I liked Edge of Tomorrow. It was entertaining, efficient and funny. There’s no need to analyse this movie more. It was what it was, pure action.

Transcendence

I went to the movies twice this week. The first movie was Transcendence so I will write about it first.

I was so excited when I heard that there was a new Johnny Depp -movie (as he’s one of my favourite actors). However, I was a little suspicious because the movie was science fiction, it’s not my favourite movie genre. But, as I’ve decided, I’m goint to go and see every movie where Johnny is acting so I went to see Transcendence with my son.

Transcendence was average. It had it’s moments but at times it was a little too slow-paced, yet not boring. The topic was interesting but it was handled in an usual way. Humans try to control with technology but everything turns upside down and the technology starts to take power over humans. In Transcendence there are some great actors, in addition to Johnny Depp, such as Morgan Freeman and Paul Bettany. Those excellent talents don’t lift the movie higher. What would’ve Transcendence been without these talented people? And what about Rebecca Hall, the leading lady in this movie? There’s something about her that I don’t like much. I think she’s a little stony. It feels like she doesn’t give her heart to the role. I may be wrong, but that’s how I felt.

Transcendence entertained me for two hours, but would I watch it again? Probably not. It was a mediocre Johnny Depp -movie. Though, I must say, it was much better than the previous movie, Lone Ranger (review here).

I admire Johnny Depp. His careless, cool and ageless style and his talent. Yet, he hasn’t made very good movies over the past years. All of them have been a little indifferent. It’s a shame because I think he could do so much more. Or maybe he doesn’t care if the movie is a hit or not.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

I was very suspicious about The Hunger Games -movies. I watched the first movie The Hunger Games from DVD and it was not so bad as I thought it would be.

I’m not part of the target audience, that’s for sure. I went to see The Hunger Games: Catching Fire with my son this week. The movie theatre was full of teenagers, mostly girls, giggling and talking, eating popcorn and candies. I thought that maybe I was in a wrong place. Eventually a few more grown-ups came to the theatre, so I was not the only one.

The movie was, I must admit, entertaining and even a little thrilling. I don’t know if this is embarrassing or not, but I kind of liked it. But, when you start to think about the story, it’s pretty depressing. A group of people are sent to a closed area to kill one another and other people watch, even cheer. Well, not all people cheer, the families of the rivals aren’t that happy because they, almost undoubtedly, will loose their loved ones. A very sick game, I say.

The movie ended but the story didn’t. So now we are waiting the next movie. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay will be split into two movies, part 1 will be in theatres on November 21st, 2014 and the second part on November 20th, 2015. Two more year before I know how the story will end. Interesting to see if my son still wants to see these two movies, he’s 14 now and will be 16 in 2015. It’s possible that he’s not interested in The Hunger Games after two years. We’ll see. Maybe I have to go by myself and join the huge bunch of teenagers a couple of times more.

Thor: The Dark World

Another Marvel-movie with my guys. This time Thor: The Dark World.

Thor: The Dark World was watchable. A lot of action, spacegrafts, battles and weird-looking characters. Still, it was somehow boring. Some big yawns came in the middle of the movie, but I managed to stay awake.

I must say that Chris Hemsworth is a very good choice for the part of Thor. He is charismatic and looks very good, masculine and strong. But the most interesting character is Loki, Thor’s brother, played by Tom Hiddleston. There’s something very interesting about Mr. Hiddleston. He is magnetic and his eyes look straight through you. And some characters in the movie are, in my opinoin, purposeless, like annoying Darcy Lewis, played by Kat Dennings.

The story in Thor: The Dark World is ordinary,  but, I dare say, it’s the same in almost all super hero movies. There was nothing special in this movie, just a lot of fighting and explosions. One guy beats all and saves the universe, and the woman of his dreams. Yet, I like heroes that conquir every misfortune and every bad guy and Thor did just that.

The ending of the movie implicates that there’s still more to come.

I think the first Thor-movie (2011) was better. Anyway, my guys loved Thor: The Dark World. I guess that I’m not necessarily part of the target audience. But, luckily, the movie offers some feast for the eyes, so that the women in the audience get some entertainment too.

After Earth

I went to see After Earth because my son asked me to go with him. I was thinking that I’m not interested in another “world has ended” -movie. But I went, because I wanted to go with my son.

After Earth turned out to be good entertainment. The movie was in the hands of two actors Will and Jaden Smith, and mostly Jaden Smith. After Earth was a movie of survival and a relationship between a father and a son. Kitai (Jaden Smith) had to face his fears and try to save himself and his father Chypher (Will Smith). There were some moments in this movie that made me feel excited, I was thinking “are they going to make it or not”. I knew they would, but it didn’t matter, a good action scene swept me along.

Guaranteed Hollywood entertainment from M. Night Shyamalan. If you want to put your brains off and enjoy some good action, go see this movie.

The only thing I was thinking was that would Jaden Smith be an actor in a leading role if his father wasn’t Will Smith? Maybe, maybe not.