The Hunger Games

CAST: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland; DIRECTOR:  Gary Ross; SCREENPLAY BY: Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins, Billy Ray; PRODUCED BY: Nina Jacobson, Jon Kilik;  Executive Producers: Robin Bissell, Suzanne Collins, Louise Rosner-Meyer; EDITING BY: Stephen Mirrione, Juliette Welfling; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Tom Stern; DISTRIBUTED BY: Lionsgate; GENRE:  Action/Drama/Sci-Fi/Thriller; LOCATION: USA; RUNNING TIME: 142 minutes

Technical Assessment:  4

Moral Assessment:  2

Cinema rating:  For viewers 14 years old and above

 District 12 is in the Republic of Panem which is ruled by the elite in the distant Capitol.  The citizens of Panem’s 12 districts exist to serve the Capitol’s needs.  An earlier uprising of the Districts results in the extinction of District 13, and the creation of “The Hunger Games”, a televised survival reality show that has contestants called “tributes”—a boy and a girl from age 12-18 from each District—participating until all but one remains alive.  Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) lives with her mother and younger sister Primrose in District 12.  When Primrose’s name is drawn to be District 12’s girl tribute, Katniss volunteers to take her place.  She together with Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) are swept away to the Capitol to be trained at jungle survival with 22 other youngsters, knowing fully well that they would be compelled to kill in order to win, and, in fact, could even be each other’s killer.  

Unfairly compared with Twilight, Hunger Games is of a totally different genre.  The former is romance/adventure; the latter is adventure-scifi.  The only thing they have in common is their box office aim: teenage girls as the primary target audience.  Lawrence’s intensity as the heroine Katniss carries the movie, but, of course, with the able support of secondary actors that include Donald Sutherland, Wes Bently, Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, and others.  It is a film version of the trilogy by Suzanne Collins who is also its hands-on scriptwriter.  The Hunger Games incorporates touches from Greek mythology and Roman history as well as themes from productions in the not-so-distant past, like broadcasting of violent contests to pacify the masses (Vengeance on Varos), best friends fighting to the death (Amok Time, a Star Trek episode), the bloodthirsty crowd (Survivor).  The plot is fast paced, making its 140 minutes running time strangely entertaining and thought provoking at the same time.

“The Hunger Games” as entertainment for the elite in the Capitol is the reality tv show to end all reality tv shows.  Unlike the ordinary “survivor shows”, it is not just a question of being voted off the island—it means having to kill human beings for no reason at all but to satisfy the murderous instincts of the audience, and we ought to know the dire consequences of such an episode on the life of the winner-killer.  The “hunger” in the movie could be two-faced—the audience’s hunger for bloodshed and man-against-man violence, and the actual hunger of the contestants who must for instance navigate a mine field in order to get to the food pile.  The Hunger Games may actually mirror a reality in human society where the decadent and powerful one percent “in the Capitol” live in abundance with no other concern but to adorn and indulge themselves while the impoverished and powerless 99 percent work like beasts of burden just to survive and do the elite’s bidding.  The movie attempts to insert a ray of hope towards the end with the decision of the two youngsters, but still, it fails to assure that the hope is potent enough to effect a turn towards justice.  Watch with caution—we shouldn’t let such slick reality shows dictate our realities. 

The Witness

CAST:  Gwen Zamora, Pierre Gruno, Marcelino Ledrandt, KimberlyRyder, Feby Febiola, Agung Saga; DIRECTOR:  Muhammad Yusuf; SCREENWRITER: Beby Hasibuan; PRODUCER: Sarjono Sutrisno; EDITOR:  MUSICAL DIRECTOR; GENRE:  Suspense, Thriller/Drama; CINEMATOGRAPHER     DISTRIBUTOR: GMA & Skylar Pictures; LOCATION:  Indonesia; RUNNING TIME: 110 minutes

Technical Assessment:  2.5

Moral Assessment:  2

Cinema rating:  For viewers 18 years old and above

     

SYNOPSIS: A Filipina expat who works as general manager of a hotel in Jakarta finds her whole family massacred by a mysterious man. Her parents, her only sister Safara, her maid, security, are all dead. She was also shot but somehow managed to survive. Haunted by the incident and a strange dream that keeps coming over and over, she then decides to uncover all the mystery by herself to find out the reason of what she has been going through.

Mirror Mirror

CAST:  Lily Collins, Julia Roberts, Armie Hammer, Sean Bean, Nathan Lane, Michael Lerner and Mare Winningham; DIRECTOR: Tarsem Singh; SCREENWRITER:  Melisa Wallack, Jason Keller, Jacob Girmm, Wilhelm Grimm; PRODUCED BY: Ryan Kavanaugh, Bernie Goldmann, Brett Ratner, Kevin Misher; EDITING BY: Robert Duffy, Nick Moore;  MUSIC BY: Alan Menken; GENRE:  Fantasy, Science Fiction, Comedy; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Brendan Galvin; DISTRIBUTED BY: Relativity Media; LOCATION: Czech Republic; RUNNING TIME: 95 minutes

Technical Assessment: 4

Moral Assessment: 3.5

Cinema Rating: For viewers 13 years old and below with parental guidance      

SYNOPSIS: An evil queen steals control of a kingdom and an exiled princess enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright.

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax

CAST: Voices—Danny DeVito (Lorax), Ed Helms (the Once-ler), Zac Efron (Ted), Taylor Swift (Audrey), Rob Riggle (Mr. O’Hare), Jenny Slate (Ted’s Mom), Betty White (Grammy Norma); DIRECTOR:   Chris Renaud, Kyle Balda; SCREENWRITER: Ken Daurio, Cincon Paul; PRODUCER: Chris Meeldandri & Janet Heally; EDITOR: Ken Schretsmann, Claire Dodgson, Steven Liu; MUSICAL DIRECTOR: John Powell; GENRE:  Adaptation from Dr. Seuss’ book, Animation, Musical,; CINEMATOGRAPHER: Eric Guillon; DISTRIBUTOR:  Universal Pictures; LOCATION:   Universal Studio; RUNNING TIME:  96 minutes

Technical Assessment: 3.5

Moral Assessment: 4

Cinema Rating: For viewers 13 years old and below with parental guidance       

SYNOPSIS: A  3-D animated feature “The Lorax” is a musical entertaining of the 1971 Dr. Seuss eco-cautionary fable that seems to tell all people of the danger in the environment if we cut all the trees. It’s about 13-year-old Ted (voiced by Zac Efron), who seeks out the legendary Truffula Tree far beyond the confines of his treeless, prefabricated town of Thneedville, where fresh air is sold in bottles.

Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang

CAST:  Erich Gonzales (Corazon), Derek Ramsay (Daniel), Mark Gil, Epy Quizon, Mon Confiado, Tetchie Agbayani; DIRECTOR: Richard Somes; SCREENWRITER:  Jerry Gracio; PRODUCER:  Star Cinema, Skylight Films; EDITOR:  MUSICAL DIRECTOR  

GENRE:  Dram/Horror; CINEMATOGRAPHER     DISTRIBUTOR: Star Cinema, Skylight Films; LOCATION: Philippines; RUNNING TIME:  100 minutes     

Technical Assessment:  3.5

Moral Assessment:  2.5

Cinema rating:  For viewers 18 years old 

Synopsis: A married couple of five years, so desirous to have their own baby, seeks help from a lady who recommends devotion to Saint Gerard, patron of women praying to have a child. They are soon gifted with a child, but their baby is stillborn. The mother who could not accept that her child is dead becomes insane and disappears from their home.

John Carter

CAST: Taylor Kitsch (John Cater), Lynn Collins (Princess Dejah Thoris), Willem Dafoe; DIRECTOR: Andrew Stanton; SCREENWRITER: Andrew Stanton, Mark Andrews, Michael Chabon, Edgar Rice Burroughs; PRODUCEd BY: Jim Morris, Colin Wilson, Lindsey Collins;  EDITING BY: Eric Zumbrunnen; MUSIC BY: Michael Giacchino; GENRE: Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy; CINEMATOGRAPHER  DISTRIBUTOR Walt Disney; LOCATION:  USA; RUNNING TIME: 118 minutes

Technical Assessment:  4

Moral Assessment: 3

Cinema Rating: For viewers 14 years old and above 

SYNOPSIS: From filmmaker Andrew Stanton comes John Carter-a sweeping action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars). John Carter is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.

Money Ball

CAST:  Brad Pitt (Billy Beane), Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jonah Hill (Peter); DIRECTOR: Bennett Miller; SCREENWRITER: Aaron Sorkin; FILM PRODUCER: Brad Pitt, Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz; EDITOR:  MUSICAL DIRECTOR; GENRE: Comedy/Sports/Drama; CINEMATOGRAPHER     DISTRIBUTOR: Columbia Pictures; LOCATION: USA; RUNNING TIME:   135 minutes    

Technical Assessment: 3.5

Moral Assessment: 4

Cinema Rating: For viewers 14 years old and above 

SYNOPSIS: Based on a true story, Moneyball is a movie for anybody who has ever dreamed of taking on the system. Brad Pitt stars as Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's and the guy who assembles the team, who has an intuition: all of baseball's conventional wisdom is wrong. Forced to reinvent his team on a tight budget, Beane will have to outsmart the richer clubs. The onetime jock teams with Ivy League grad Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) in an unlikely partnership, recruiting bargain players that the scouts call flawed, but all of whom have an ability to get on base, score runs, and win games. It's more than baseball, it's a revolution - one that challenges old school traditions and puts Beane as a target of those who say he's tearing out the heart and soul of the game.

The Devil Inside

CAST:  Fernanda Andrade (Isabella Rossi), Evan Helmuth (David), Simon Quarterman (Ben), Suzan Cowley (Maria Rossi); DIRECTOR:    William Brent Bell, Joaquin Perea; SCREENWRITER:  William Brent Bell, Matthew Peterman; PRODUCER: Mr. Peterman & Morris Paulson; EDITOR: Timothy Mirkovich and Mr. Bell  MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Brett Detar & Ben Romans; GENRE:  Horror; CINEMATOGRAPHER: Gonzalo Amat; DISTRIBUTOR: Paramount  Pictures; LOCATION: Rome, Italy; RUNNING TIME: 85 minutes    

  

Technical Assessment:  2.5

Moral Assessment:  2

Cinema rating:  For viewers 18 years old and above

In recent years, the Catholic Church has established a course in Rome for exorcists and those interested in these experiences of the devil.  The course featured in the 2011 film with Anthony Hopkins, The Rite, and also features in this film.

The Devil Inside might be seen as a commercial rip-off of such films as The Rite—and it probably is.  However, quite some thought has been given to the screenplay and its plausibility and checking out a lot of Catholic details.  Critics will say that too little thought has been given to the screenplay—and with some justification concerning the ending since the film just stops with a more than melodramatic moment.  Perhaps, the makers had run out of ideas and/or budget.

Again, the makers use the now tradition of The Blair Witch Project, disguising fiction as fact.  They also do quite a bit of hand-held camera work to pretend that it is all authentic footage (often with dates and times indicated as in the Paranormal Activity series).  It opens with a video of a crime scene walk through by detectives with commentary introducing the deaths of two priests and a nun during an exorcism of a housewife.  After being declared criminally insane by the Connecticut courts, she was transferred to a Roman institution for the criminally insane.  That was in 1989.

Now, in 2009, her daughter, Isabella, wants to understand what happens and decides to make a documentary.  For the first part of the film, it continues in a documentary style, a film that you might see on television.

Isabella sits in on the course in Rome, which gives the film a chance to offer some thoughts on possession and raise questions about true possession and mental states.  In the class are an American doctor become priest and an English priest whose uncle was an exorcist.  They use technological equipment for their exorcisms and reveal that they are doing their work without church approval (with some comments in the vein of hierarchy cover-ups and bureaucratic mind-sets).

They take Isabella and her cameraman to an actual exorcism—echoes of The Exorcist with contortions, hurlings and prayer in English and Latin.  Isabella agrees to a similar exorcism for her mother who has recognized her but is hostile—and has been officially declared mad rather than possessed.

By this time, the skeptic audience is probably in full scorn mode.  The believers are wondering whether this can really happen.  Those who have been following it sympathetically are hoping that the exorcism will be a success but their movie-going experience is probably warning them that this is the stage where you surrender belief and just go with the ever-increasing melodramatic and violent flow.  It actually does become more melodramatic than expected—and then that stop and the final credits.

It’s only a small-budget, 83 minute possession thriller so better not to make a mountain out of a mole hill.  (In 2010, there was a Protestant/ Evangelical variation on this theme, The Last Exorcism).  There is an initial disclaimer that the Vatican did not give any official approval of the film or help in its making!

Chronicle

CAST: Dane DeHaan, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly, Alex Russell; DIRECTOR: Josh Trank; PRODUCED BY: John Davis, Adam Schroeder; GENRE: Fantasy / Sci-fi / Thriller; SCREENPLAY BY: Max Landis; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Matthew Jensen;  LOCATION: United States; RUNNING TIME: 83 minutes

Technical Assessment:  3

Moral Assessment:  2.5

Cinema rating:  For viewers 18 years old

Chronicle sounds a fairly straightforward title – though the film runs for only 84 minutes, rather a short time for a chronicle.

This is another hand-held camera story, allegedly using footage taken by Andrew (Dane de Haan), the central character, with his new camera.  In the latter part of the film, other alleged footage from surveillance cameras and other sources is edited in.  So, we are in the Blair Witch tradition, though the story takes us in quite a different direction.

All seems rather domestic at first: Andrew’s room, his alcoholic father, his ailing mother, school where he is put down all the time, a party where he irritates people by filming.  His main friend is his cousin Matthew (Alex Russell) who tries to put the brakes on all the filming, hoping Andrew will get a life.  He does, but the most hoped-for.

Matthew is joined by class president, Steve (Michael B. Jordan) as they explore a mysterious hole in the ground and ask Andrew to film.  Something in the hole exercises a strange power and they become telekinetic as well as finding they can soar into the air.

Strong change of pace at this juncture.

What first seems something jokey and a bit of horseplay becomes something dangerous, fatal for one of the group.  And Andrew seems to be taken over by the power, becoming extremely vindictive, cruel to friends and his many foes, ultimately becoming, not a superhero, but a supervillain.  He could have become a Spiderman type for good but turns into the Green Goblin and the other evil characters from the Spiderman films.

The film becomes rather spectacular by the end as Andrew wreaks his revenge as well being destructive just because he can.  He rationalizes his attitudes with theories of evolution and survival of the fittest, rather Nietschean (though Schopenhauer and Plato are quoted), an evil super-man beyond morality.

Chronicle was filmed in South Africa with quite some interesting special effects – South Africa did a very good job with District 9 and its effects some years ago.

Younger audiences will identify with the characters and the situations and then be challenged by Andrew’s behaviour.  This one has proven popular and may be on its way to cult movie status.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

CAST:  Tom Hanks (Tomas Schell), Sandra Bullock (Linda Schell), Thomas Horn (Oskar Schell), Zoe Caldwell (Thomas grandmother), Max von Sydow; DIRECTOR: Stephen Daldry; SCREENWRITER:  Eric Roth, Jonathan Safran Foer; PRODUCER: Scott Rudin; EDITOR:  MUSICAL DIRECTOR; GENRE: Drama; CINEMATOGRAPHER    DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros; LOCATION: New York City; RUNNING TIME: 129 minutes    

Technical Assessment: 4

Moral Assessment: 4

Cinema Rating: For viewers 13 years old and below with parental guidance     

SYNOPSIS: Oskar is convinced that his father, who died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, has left a final message for him hidden somewhere in the city. Feeling disconnected from his grieving mother and driven by a relentlessly active mind that refuses to believe in things that can't be observed, Oskar begins searching New York City for the lock that fits a mysterious key he found in his father's closet. His journey through the five boroughs takes him beyond his own loss to a greater understanding of the observable world around him. 

The Vow's real life couple

FARMINGTON, NEW MEXICO., February 28 (CNA/EWTN News)— Real-life couple from "The Vow" is at peace with Hollywood film.  Krickitt Carpenter says she and her husband Kim are at peace with the film version of their story, “The Vow,” despite the movie's failure to mention the couple's deep faith in God.  The recent Hollywood film is based on Kim and Krickitt's real-life struggle to stay faithful to their vows after a 1993 car accident just weeks into their marriage left Krickitt with no recollection of meeting, falling in love with, or marrying her husband.  Despite her memory-loss, Carpenter said she chose to love her husband “based on obedience to God” and not her feelings, “because the feelings had been completely wiped away.”

“We made a vow before God,” she told CNA on Feb. 27, “so I chose to love him.”  “I hadn't read in the word of God that you can divorce over a head injury,” Carpenter joked, adding that she decided to make the best of her situation and “get to know this man that I was married to.”  Although their faith in God played an essential role in the Carpenter's marriage, the film version of “The Vow” – released on Feb. 10 by Sony-owned production company Screen Gems – removed any real mention of God or the couple's Christian faith.  “There's a few things that were terribly off that were a little hard to swallow,” Carpenter said of the movie, which stars Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams.  Carpenter said that she realized the world is “a much different place” now than it was over 15 years ago when she and her husband first signed the movie deal.

“We thought the movie would be a complete reflection of our story,” Carpenter said, “but Hollywood is Hollywood and...this is how the Lord is having it play out.”Overall, Carpenter said that she and her husband “are at peace” with the film version of their story and trust that it will lead people to their book, which recently topped the New York Times best-seller list.  The movie, despite it's lack of overtly Christian themes, is “definitely putting people towards our book” which is where they will “be able to meet face-to-face with us and the God that did miracles in our lives.”  “When they read the book, they're even more amazed at an awesome story.”

The movie appeals to both “the believer and non-believer” Carpenter said, which is also why she and her husband were mostly pleased with it.At the suggestion of a therapist, the couple worked to rebuild their relationship by starting over and were re-married in 1996. They now have two children who, Carpenter said, would not be here had she and her husband not remained faithful to their vows. 

What CINEMA would like its followers to ponder is the apparent trend among (Hollywood) moviemakers to leave the God element out of the picture, despite its strong presence in the reality of the life the reel version is trying to portray.  Are they afraid that it would offend non-believers, or that it would not sell?

Unofficially Yours

CAST:  John Lloyd Cruz (Macky Galvez), Angel Locsin (Ces), Edgar Allan Guzman, Tetchie Agbayani, Edgar Mortiz, Ian De Leon, K Brosas, Boom Labrusca; DIRECTOR: Cathy Garcia-Molina; PRODUCED BY: Charo Santos-Concio, Malou Santos; EDITOR:  MUSICAL DIRECTOR; GENRE:  Romantic Comedy, Romantic Drama; CINEMATOGRAPHER     DISTRIBUTOR: Star Cinema; LOCATION: Philippines; RUNNING TIME: 95 minutes    

Technical Assessment: 3

Moral Assessment: 2

Cinema Rating: For viewers 18 years old and above     

SYNOPSIS: The film is the story of a man who falls in love with a woman who is afraid of any commitment due to her trauma of a failed marriage. Through regular romantic engagement their love for each other develops until the man is able to convince his girlfriend.  

This Means War

CAST:  Reese Witherspoon (Lauren Scott), Cris Pine (FDR Foster), Tom Hardy (Tuck Henson), Till Schweiger (Heinrich), Chelsea Handler (Trish), Abegail Spenser (Katie), Angela Basset (Collins); DIRECTOR: McG; SCREENWRITER: Timothy Dowling, Simon Kinberg; PRODUCED BY: Simon Kinberg, James Lassiter, Robert Simonds, Will Smith; EDITOR:  MUSICAL DIRECTOR; GENRE:  Action & Adventure, Romance, Comedy; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Russell Carpenter; LOCATION: Vancouver, Canada; RUNNING TIME:  120 minutes 

Technical Assessment: 3

Moral Assessment: 1.5

Cinema Rating: For viewers 18 years old and above         

Elite CIA spies FDR (Chris Pine) and Tuck (Tom Hardy) mess up an attempt to capture international terrorist Heinrich (Til Schweiger) and are assigned desk jobs.  Missing some action at Spy Central, Tuck decides to return to the dating scene.  By signing up with an on-line agency, he gets a date with Lauren (Reese Witherspoon), a busy-busy career woman in her thirties.  After their first great date Lauren accidentally bumps into FDR (Chris Pine) and soon FDR dates Lauren, too.  One improbable day at the office Tuck and FDR who are the best of friends discover they're after the same woman.  Disappointed at first, the two guys make a pact to keep Lauren unaware of their discovery and their being best friends.  May the best man win, they say as they slam their laptop shut. 

Considering the technical aspect of This means war, it’s as good as any movie goes that’s aimed to entertain and not to challenge viewers intellectually.  It is billed as a romantic-comedy/action movie but comes out half-baked at each count.   The romance aspect is snuffed out by the rivalry between the two guys—why break a friendship over a woman who is so self-absorbed she’s totally clueless about their     The comedy side relies on hurting people which isn’t funny, and the action doesn’t excite as elite spies are supposed to do.  If the story were based on real life we can’t help but say “What a silly love triangle!”  Fortunately it’s but fiction and so we can dismiss the shallowness of the plot and the characters.

This means war redeems itself by trying to uphold fidelity (albeit to a pre-marital sex partner), being a good sport or loser, and familial reconciliation.  It’s a good movie to see if only to tell your teenage children what to avoid in man-woman relationships.  

The Breaking Wind

CAST:  Heather Ann Davis (Bella), Eric Callero (Edward), Frank Pacheco (Jacob), Michael Adam Hamilton, Alice Rietveld, John Stevenson and Danny Trejo.

DIRECTOR:  Craig Moss; SCREENWRITER: Craig Moss; PRODUCER:  Bernie Gewissler, AmyJarvela, Craig Moss; EDITOR:  MUSICAL DIRECTOR; GENRE:   Comedy; CINEMATOGRAPHER     DISTRIBUTOR: Pioneer Films; LOCATION: Los Angeles, California, USA; RUNNING TIME: 82 minutes       

Technical Assessment: 3

Moral Assessment: 2

Cinema Rating: For viewers 18 years old and above         

SYNOPSIS: Breaking Wind is the comedic spoof of the world wide phenomenon Twilight series. When Stella's life becomes threatened by the vengeful Victoria and her gang of blood sucking newborns. Edward and Jacob must put aside their differences in order to save her life AGAIN.

The Vow

CAST:  Rachel McAdams (Paige Collins), Channing Tatum (Leo Collins), Sam Neill (Paige’s Father ), Jessica Lange (Paige’s Mother), Jessica McNamee (Gwen); DIRECTOR: Michael Sucsy; SCREENWRITER: Jason Katims, Abby Kohn,  Marc Silverstein, Michael Suscy & Stuart Sender; PRODUCER: Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Jonathan Glickman, Paul Taublieb ; EDITOR:  MUSICAL DIRECTOR; GENRE:  Drama. Romance; CINEMATOGRAPHER     DISTRIBUTOR Sony Pictures; LOCATION: Toronto, Canada & Chicago, USA; RUNNING TIME:  104 minutes

Technical Assessment: 3.5

Moral Assessment: 3.5

Cinema Rating: For viewers 14 years old and above 

     

SYNOPSIS : A newlywed couple recovers from a car accident that puts the wife in a coma. Waking up with severe memory loss, her husband endeavors to win her heart again.

The Descendants

CAST: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Robert Forster; DIRECTOR: Alexander Payne; SCREENPLAY: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash; PRODUCED BY: Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Phedon Papamichae; EDITING: Kevin Tent; LOCATION: United States; RUNNING  TIME: 115 minutes

Technical Assessment: 3.5

Moral Assessment: 3

Cinema Rating: For viewers 14 years old and above 

The Descendants is set in Hawaii and follows the unpredictable journey of an American family at a crossroads.  Matt King (George Clooney), a husband and father of two girls, must re-examine his past and navigate his future when his wife goes into coma due to a boating accident off Waikiki.  He awkwardly attempts to repair his relationship with his daughters— perky 10-year-old Scottie (Amara Miller) and rebellious 17-year-old Alexandra (Shailene Woodley)—while wrestling with a decision to sell his family’s land handed down from Hawaiian royalty and missionaries.  Matt and his King cousins own some of the last priceless virgin parcels of tropical beach in the islands.

When Alexandra drops the bombshell that her mother was cheating on her husband at the time of the accident, Matt has to take a whole new look at his life, not to mention his legacy, during a week of momentous decisions.  With his girls in tow, he embarks on a haphazard search for his wife’s lover.  Along the way, in encounters alternately funny, troublesome and transcendent, he realizes he’s finally on course toward rebuilding his life and family.

  Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings, The Descendants has a snappy screen play by its own director Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash.  Others in the acting ensemble are Beau Bridges, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Nick Krause, Mary Birdsong, Rob Huebel and Patricia Hastie.  Clooney’s award-winning Matt King is a flawed individual finding his way through a world of lunacy, bittersweet emotion and surprises; he is neither a hero nor anti-hero, not the man he would like to be.  Rather, Matt King is a man grappling with some of the worst news, most difficult people, and most impossible decisions of his life.

  Close family ties are among the values highlighted in this movie.  The bond between the father and his daughters is also emphasized to show that while tragedy, a death in the family,  and the discovery of a betrayal may lead to pain and bitterness, the same suffering may also strengthen the character of those left behind.  In the last scene the characters do no talk but it is pregnant with symbols and body language no words can equal.  A most satisfying film for families to watch.    

The Woman in Black

CAST:  Daniel Radcliffe (Arthur Kipps), Claran Hinds (Samuel Daily), Janet McTeer (Mrs. Daily), Sophie Stucky (Stella Kipps), Liz White (Jennet Humfrye), Misha Handley (Joseph Kipps); DIRECTOR: James Watkins; SCREENWRITER: Susan R. Hill,  Jane Goldman; PRODUCER:  Hammer Film Production; EDITOR:  MUSICAL DIRECTOR; Marco Beltrami GENRE:  Drama, Horror, Mystery & Suspense; CINEMATOGRAPHER     DISTRIBUTOR; LOCATION:  United Kingdom; RUNNING TIME: 94 minutes

Technical Assessment: 3.5

Moral Assessment: 3

Cinema Rating: For viewers 14 years old and above  

SYNOPSIS: Arthur Kipps, a widowed lawyer whose grief has put his career in jeopardy, is sent to a remote village to sort out the affairs of a recently deceased eccentric. But upon his arrival, it soon becomes clear that everyone in the town is keeping a deadly secret. Although the townspeople try to keep Kipps from learning their tragic history, he soon discovers that the house belonging to his client is haunted by the ghost of a woman who is determined to find someone and something she lost...and no one, not even the children, are safe from her vengeance.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

CAST:  Dwayne Johnson (Hank), Josh Hutcherson (Sean Anderson), Vanessa Hudgens (Kailani), Michael Caine (Alexander), Luis Guzman (Gabato), Kristin Davis (Liz Anderson); DIRECTOR: Brad Peyton; SCREENWRITER:  Brian Gunn; PRODUCED BY: Charlotte Huggins, Beau Flynn, Tripp Vinson; EDITING: David Rennie; GENRE:   Action & Adventure, Kids &Family, Science Fiction & Fantasy; CINEMATOGRAPHER     DISTRIBUTOR:  New Line Cinema; LOCATION: United States;  RUNNING TIME: 95 minutes

Technical Assessment: 4

Moral Assessment: 3.5

Cinema Rating: For viewers 13 years old and below with parental guidance     

Sean (Josh Hutcherson) gets coded messages he suspects have come from his long-lost explorer grandfather (played by Michael Caine).  With the help of his stepfather and legal guardian Hank (Dwayne Johnson) they decode the message and locate its origin, the Mysterious Island which is somewhere off Palau.  Sean is dead set on finding the Mysterious Island; Hank is eager to bond with the young boy and as his legal guardian obliges the latter.  Off they go, renting a rickety four-seater plane to cross the ocean with just the pilot (Luis Guzman) and his strong-willed daughter (played by Vanessa Hudgens).

Like most adventure stories, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, owes its appeal to breathtaking views of a pristine and hidden paradise, definitely out-of-this-world for its beauty.  And what would an exotic island be without its share of monsters and predators?  Here they are birds that in our world would fit snugly in our hands but out there would be as big as pterodactyls that hunt humans for snacks.  In our world elephants would be gigantic creatures one doesn’t fool around with, but in the misty Mysterious Island they are only slightly bigger than poodles and just as cuddly! 

All the elements that make for a wholesome family adventure movie are present in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island: the funny schtick in the person of the bumbling pilot; the tender-hearted muscleman going against all odds to win the trust of his beloved woman’s son; the ingenious 80-year-old adventurer who lives in an enviable treehouse; the chaste and budding teen romance; etc.  There are no pirates and bad people here—the villains are the distressing circumstances the group has to contend with.  But, of course, nature helps, as in the form of giant bumble bees that people can ride as the blue people of Avatar ride flying dragons.

It must been intended by director Brad Peyton to be really one undemanding, wholesome, enjoyable movie where the characters elicit your sympathy and support—you root for them, you want them to be safe, you want them to be happy with one another.  Definitely the whole family may see this—in case the young children tend to get scared of monsters you can quickly tell them they’re only made of cardboard.  But they’ll probably shrug off the monsters and would rather focus on the giant bumble bees—creatures they can cheer for them since they look no more menacing than a hamburger chain mascot.

Chronicle

CAST:  Dane DeHaan (Andrew), Alex Russell (Matt), Michael Jordan (Steve), Michael Kelly, Ashley Hinshaw (Casey); DIRECTOR:  Josh Trank; SCREENWRITER:  Max Landis; PRODUCER: John Davis, Adam Schroeder; Screenplay by: Max Landis; GENRE:  Drama, Horror, Mystery & Suspense,  Sci Fiction & Fantasy; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Matthew Jensen

LOCATION:   USA; RUNNING TIME:  83 minutes

Technical Assessment: 3.5

Moral Assessment: 2

Cinema Rating: For viewers 14 years old and above     

SYNOPSIS: Three high school students make an incredible discovery, leading to their developing uncanny powers beyond their understanding. As they learn to control their abilities and use them to their advantage, their lives start to spin out of control, and their darker sides begin to take over.

Haywire

CAST:  Gina Carano (Mallory Kane) Michael Fassbender, Bill Paxton, Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum; DIRECTOR: Steven Soderbergh; SCREENWRITER: Lem Dobbs; PRODUCER:  Gregory Jacobs; EDITOR: Mary Ann Bernard  MUSICAL DIRECTOR: David Holmes; GENRE:  Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense; CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Andrews     DISTRIBUTOR: Relativity Media; LOCATION: USA, Spain, Ireland; RUNNING TIME:  93 minutes

Technical Assessment: 3.5

Moral Assessment: 2

Cinema Rating: For viewers 18 years old and above         

SYNOPSIS: Mallory Kane is a highly trained operative who works for a government security contractor in the dirtiest, most dangerous corners of the world. After successfully freeing a Chinese journalist held hostage, she is double crossed and left for dead by someone close to her in her own agency. Suddenly the target of skilled assassins who know her every move, Mallory must find the truth in order to stay alive.

J. Edgar

CAST: Leonardo DiCarpio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Dame Judi Dench, Ed Westwick, Josh Hamilton, Josh Lucas, Judi Dench, Lea Thompson; DIRECTOR:  Clint Eastwood; SCREENWRITER: Dustin Lance Black; PRODUCER: Clint Eastwood, Brian Grazer, Robert Lorenz; EDITOR:  MUSICAL DIRECTOR : Clint Eastwood; GENRE: Drama; CINEMATOGRAPHER     DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros; LOCATION: USA; RUNNING TIME:   137 minutes

Technical Assessment: 3.5

Moral Assessment: 3

Cinema Rating: For viewers 14 years old and above  

J. Edgar tells the story of J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo diCaprio), the head of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for nearly 50 years. The story jumps from one period to another between 1920’s and 1970s highlighting Hoover’s achievements from his point-of-view as the old Hoover narrates to younger agents. He tells stories of how he protected the United States from Communist attacks and how he introduced various innovations (like the central fingerprinting system) to advance criminology, thus, preventing criminality. Some of the film’s highlights were the tracking of the mastermind of the kidnapping of Lindbergh baby that paved the way for Hoover’s eventual rise to power. All these juxtapose with his secrets untold including that of his relationship with his mother (Judi Dench) and assistant Clyde Tolson (Armi Hammer).

The film has tried hard to capture the complexities of one of the most controversial figures in the history of the US. J. Edgar may be utterly successful in bringing about the details of Hoover’s achievements as the FBI director only to discredit him later on, but the movie fails in entirety to really flesh out the humanness of J. Edgar the man. This is not really much the fault of the filmmakers but the material itself calls for such complexity beyond the capacity of the film medium. But then again, the non-linear storytelling works well in sustaining audience’s interest and diCaprio’s intensity and screen presence is as brilliant as always. Perhaps the prosthetics did not really help that much and they should have thought of another way of representing the old Hoover, (Getting a real veteran actor, perhaps?) so actors won’t have to look ridiculous. The cast ensemble is strong and the film surely has its brilliant moments only that it should have shown more of the real J. Edgar.

Is J. Edgar Hoover a hero or a foe? That makes the figure a real controversial one. The film does not really say so but at the very least, it has presented the many contradictions in his character, although quite limited on the surface. There is much to ponder on as far as his intentions for his country is concerned. While he is able to protect the US from Communist attacks, he has also invaded private lives and spaces beyond the rule of law. Hoover  has broken the very law he has pledged to protect. All the while in the film, open secrets about his real personality – including his childhood and repressed sexuality – transposes to his duty as FBI director, thus quite saying that a weakling hides behind the mask of an iron man. The said back story could be a justification how the infamous J. Edgar came to be. But then, his integrity, dedication and loyalty as FBI head still cannot be questioned and his fiery passion to protect the country from communists, radicals and criminals must be emulated by every citizen of any land. In that respect, J. Edgar is still worth seeing, and the many questions the film did not answer and the many secrets kept hidden are all worth pondering.

We Bought a Zoo

CAST: Matt Damon (Benjamin Mee),  Colin Ford (Dylan Mee), Thomas Haden Church (Duncan Mee), Scarlett Johansson (Kelly Foster), Patrick Fugit (Robin Jones), Elle Fanning (Lily Miska); DIRECTOR: Cameron Crowe; SCREENWRITER: Aline Brosh McKenna, Cameron Crowe; PRODUCER: Julie Yorn, Marc Gordon; GENRE:   Adaptation, Drama;  DISTRIBUTOR: 20th Century Fox; LOCATION: California, USA; RUNNING TIME:  124 minutes

Technical Assessment: 3.5

Moral Assessment: 3.5

Cinema Rating: For viewers 13 years old and below with parental guidance     

We bought a zoo is based on a real story that took place in England.  Journalist Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) recently lost his beloved wife and is raising their two children singlehandedly.  Seven-year-old Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones) is adorable and a breeze to look after but 14-year old Dylan (Colin Ford) is a difficult case, sullen, withdrawn, and causes a lot of trouble in school.  Following an impulse to make a fresh start, Benjamin quits his job and decides to move his family away from the city where all the memories of their sweet and happy life haunt them.  His house-hunting leads him to a spacious, modestly priced property in a bucolic setting.  It would have been perfect, except that it comes with a rundown zoo which is maintained by a handful of volunteers led by Kelly (Scarlett Johansson) who do it out of sheer love for the animals.  The new owner of the property would have to take this shuttered down zoo and the animals, including some endangered species.

The title alone, We bought a zoo, would have us expecting comic relief at least half the time.  The other half could be spread out evenly among cute animal shots, clever animal tricks, and heroic animal deeds that would all endear wild four legged creatures and other species to humans.  But no, the movie has none of those—which is what makes this number most unusually precious in Hollywood’s history of “animal movies”.  First, the animals are simply themselves, animals in an animal park, not trained performers in a glittery circus.  Snakes crawl, big cats growl.  The animals here are low profile, and even when a couple of them have to be deployed, it is done in order to advance the story and not to inject cheap excitement as is done by movies which rely on gimmickry to catch public attention.

This is so because We bought a zoo is not about animals but about persons who discover themselves and one another through experiences that eventually cause their growth.  The zoo just happens to be the setting, and the animals, the necessary props for such transformative human interaction to take place.  This is about persons—and there is not one person here who can be called a bad guy.  There is no villain in this story, not even the fussy zoo inspector Walter Ferris (John Michael Higgins) the character that causes the most stress in the others is just there to faithfully do his job, or Benjamin’s brother Duncan (Thomas Haden Church) who is not very encouraging of his brother’s moves or decisions at the start.  We bought a zoo is definitely family entertainment and has much to say about familial devotion, love of creation and the environment, dedication to work, friendship and parent-child relationships.