Cinderella Review Grade: B+

Release date: 3/13/15
Rating: PG
Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Lily James, Richard Madden, Helena Bonham Carter, Nonso Anozie, Stellan Skarsgard, Sophie McShera, Holliday Grainger
Synopsis: "When her father unexpectedly passes away, young Ella finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother and her daughters. Never one to give up hope, Ella's fortunes begin to change after meeting a dashing stranger."--IMDb.com




Overall:

So, Disney's new live action adaptation of Cinderella is sort of pointless. It has nothing new to say. It lacks the clever, feminist believability of its other live action counterpart, Ever After and doesn't quite have the same magical charm of the original 1950's animation. It's a pretty straightforward rehashing of the famous fairytale. 

But, that doesn't mean its not a fun movie to watch. 


Kenneth Branagh's vision is big and sweeping and pretty to look at. He infuses the classic (and apparently ancient) fairytale with his own little touches of Shakespearean drama; we see at least two cases of concealed identities (a favorite plot device of the Bard) and there's a lot of focus on parents dying. There's an undeniable Christian influence as well. Cinderella is very much a Christ like figure: she's loving, generous and forgiving, almost to a fault (like in her last scene of dialogue with her stepmother). With modern sensibilities in mind, a good chunk of the film is spent giving the main characters richer, more complex backstories. While most of the focus falls on our amiable heroine's ludicrously happy childhood, the prince  gets a chance to be fleshed out as well. He even has a few surprisingly touching scenes with his father. The complexities feel a little underwhelming when it comes to the evil stepmother though (not for lack of trying on Cate Blanchett's part). A brief attempt is made to humanize her but its abandoned before it blossoms into anything serious. 

Overall, Cinderella is more enjoyable than you might expect. Yes, it hits you over the head with its redundant message to "be kind and have courage" but, if you're in the mood for a little cheesy Disney romance, it makes for a genuinely entertaining film. 

Sophie McShera, Cate Blanchett and Holliday Grainger as Cinderella's step family.

The Acting:

The film's success is mostly due to its cast; without them it would feel cartoonish. Leading the pack is the ever graceful Lily James. Most actresses couldn't pull off her character's bubblegum sweetness and still be so likable. It's not all sparkly dresses and pumpkins though; James gives her Cinderella an inner strength and resilience, something the film doesn't play up nearly enough. Richard Madden fits the role of dashing royalty (a skill perfected during his Game of Thrones days, no doubt) with ease and gives him some much needed personality. Cate Blanchett remains impressive, as always. She's quite adept at portraying villains by now, especially ones that need to convey a wide range of emotions (see: Hanna). Helena Bonham Carter does her best "Helena Bonham Carter". She's as much a scene stealer as you'd expect her to be and it's a shame she's not in more of the film (it was jarring to see her in a blond wig and poofy dress though).

Richard Madden as the prince.

Best scene: 
Cinderella and the Prince's first meeting in the woods. It's obnoxiously cute but the chemistry is there. It will leave you grinning (and swooning over Madden's eyes!) like a Cheshire Cat in the dark.
Runner up scene: the transformation of the pumpkin.
Also: My favorite running gag of the film was that hilarious goose.



To see or not to see: See it! Sit back and enjoy the pretty cheesiness.


Grade: B+





Watch the trailer:

Recap & Review: Mad Men--"A Tale of Two Cities" Grade: B+

Season: 6
Episode: 10
Director: John Slattery
Original Air Date: June 2, 2013




60 second recap:
Roger, Don and Harry visit a client out in California. Don has a hallucination about Megan after taking some drugs and almost drowns in a pool. Ted makes major progress with Chevy after a visit to Detroit. Ginsberg butts heads with Cutler over politics. Bob is promoted to the Chevy account by Cutler after going to the Manischewitz meeting with Ginsberg. Joan stumbles upon a potential new client after a dinner date with the new head of marketing at Avon. She ignores protocol and takes the account into her own hands. Manischewitz puts the company on review. The partners finally decide on a name for the company.





Overall:
Although it was entertaining (as all Mad Men episodes are), this episode didn't break very much new ground. For the most part, it just reinforced what we already knew about the characters (Don is a cheater, Roger is a charming asshole, Pete feels unappreciated, Joan is sick of being treated like the secretary, etc). But we did get some interesting new insights into Cutler and Benson.

This week's episode tastefully covered the 1968 Democratic National Convention riots. Politics are slowly becoming intertwined with business, much to Cutler's dismay. While the younger generation (Megan, Stan and Ginsberg) is passionately affected by the news, some of the other generations (Don and Joan) are having a harder time displaying their feelings. Although they may be be personally affected by it, they keep their feelings mostly to themselves. It will be interesting to see how they react to all the political tension that will only get more passionate as time goes by.


The show is at its best when it's at the office, especially in the meeting room or at the creatives table. The chemistry between everyone at the office is such a delight to watch. When the characters are separated from each other for too long the scenes tend to drag a bit (all the California scenes, especially when Don is alone). Don's drug hallucination was well done though; very eerie and disorienting.


From a technical standpoint, Mad Men is on point once again with its cinematography. There were so many gorgeous shots this week; Cutler standing by the window, Don face down in the pool and most notably the entire slow motion shot of Pete smoking.

Recap: The Walking Dead S3 E14 "Prey"--Grade B+

Alright.....who farted?

Season 3 Episode 14 "Prey"

Original air date: March 17, 2013

60 second recap: Andrea finally realizes how much of a conniving psychopath the Governor is after Milton shows her his torture chamber. She tries to run away and warn her friends at the prison about the Governor's plans. The Governor goes after her, chasing her through a field, a forest and into an abandoned warehouse. Andrea manages to get within a few feet of the prison before the Governor finally captures her. He sneaks her back into Woodbury and locks her up in his torture chamber. Tyrese and Sasha start to have their doubts about Woodbury, much to the disappointment of Ben and Allen. Milton sabotages the Governor's plans to use walkers to attack the prison with. 

Hell hath no fury like a woman chased down a road, across a field, through a forest and into a
 office building/meat hook factory.

Open letter to Andrea:

Dear Andrea,

So, you just found out your ex boyfriend is a psychotic, narcissistic, manipulative, power hungry bastard. You're probably feeling pretty angry at yourself right now for not realizing this sooner. Well, don't be too down on yourself. I mean, aside from the floating heads, the chained up zombie daughter, the zombie gladiator fights, Michonne's immediate distrust of him or the holding Maggie and Glenn hostage without telling you, how were you supposed to know? Phillip could have fooled anyone!

I know that a lot of fans have been giving you a hard time this season (guilty!) but, just know that its because we're frustrated that you're not living up to your full potential. We know there's a smart, badass women somewhere underneath there. We even saw a bit of her this week. We just wish you could have gotten your priorities straight earlier. A charming, handsome man with whisky and ice cubes is not a good enough reason to abandon your best friend that you just spent 8 months living with, especially when she says there's something off about him. 

But hey, no one's perfect. I mean Rick is indecisive and makes phone calls to dead people. Michonne has questionable taste in home decor. Carl hasn't cut his hair or washed that stupid hat in 8 months. One of the reasons you're such a favorite character is because you are so flawed. You're not afraid to go through the wide range of human emotions, however ugly they may be. (Whether we'd like to admit it or not, the character many of us would be like in a zombie apocalypse is you) But the most important thing about you is that you're willing to own up to your mistakes and learn from them. So if there's one lesson to learn from all of this, its that people are never what they seem. 

We're really sorry you're being held prisoner by a psychopath. Hopefully you, or Milton or Michonne busts you out of there before the Governor does anything crazy. 

Love,

Your concerned fans.

P.s.We really, really, really hope you get to kill the Governor.

P.P.S. Next time Carol tells you to go all black widow spider on a man after sex---DO IT.

Premium Rush: Grade- B+

Starring: Joseph Gordon Levitt (Inception, 500 Days of Summer), Dania Ramirez (Heroes), Michael Shannon (Take Shelter)
Directed By: David Koepp (Ghost Town, Secret Window)
Release Date: August 24, 2012
Opening Weekend: $6,300,000
Rating: PG-13
Run Time: 1Hr 31Min
Synopsis: Young bike messenger unknowingly gets caught up in complex web of money and power when he tries to make seemingly routine package delivery downtown.

So How Was It?: Premium Rush is exactly what its trailer promises it to be. It's fast. It's thrilling. It's suspenseful. You're not seeing it for character development (of which there is a minimal amount of) or some complex plot. You're seeing it because you want to have a bit of fun watching some crazy bike riding stunts. (And boy does Premium Rush deliver on that.) The best part? It manages to be quite witty and funny on top of it all.

All you need to know is that its a decent film. The acting is good. The premise is interesting. Even if its not an especially memorable movie, it still warrants interest in seeing.

Snow White and the Huntsman- Grade: B

Starring: Kristen Stewart (Twilight), Charlize Theron (Monster, The Italian Job), Chris Hemsworth (Thor)
Directed By: Rupert Sanders 
Release Date: June 1, 2012
Opening Weekend: $56,217,700
Rating: PG-13
Run Time: 2Hr 7Min
Synopsis: Beloved king is deceived and killed by his new mysterious bride. Kingdom of Tabor is plunged into darkness under new Queen's rule. Young, beautiful daughter of King is only person with the power to stop new Queen. Young princess befriends troubled huntsman to help rally up army to take back their kingdom. 

So How Was It?: Director Rupert Sanders takes the more sinister aspects of this classic Brothers Grimm fairytale and expands on them; greed, murder, jealousy, mental illness, betrayal and heartache. Although there is still some love, happiness and goodness, this Snow White is nothing like the beloved animated Disney tale we all know and love. This Snow White is much darker.

Initially, the film is quite intriguing. It's scary. It's unpredictable. Your heart breaks for the people of Tabor. You're on their side. Charlize Theron's Queen Ravenna is absolutely terrifying. She is so evil and ruthless that you find yourself cheering on her impending demise. When it finally does start to happen though, its a bit underwhelming.The buildup of her character is too strong and the payoff of her downfall is too weak.

Somewhere around the 3/4 mark the story really looses its steam. It gets weighed down by its own fanciful nature. What started off as mysterious and interesting details (a dark magic army, a supernatural forest) soon become a bit ridiculous (tiny alien like fairies, magic stags turning into butterflies). They become a distraction and take away from the severity of the film.

The main issue with the film is its main character, Snow White. The audience never really has that moment of connection with her. There's more of an emotional connection with the huntsman and the prince than there is with Snow White. She falls a bit flat, more of a metaphor for the idea of purity than an actual physical representation of it. Maybe its because Queen Ravenna is just too much of an overpowering presence that there's no way someone like Snow White could compete with her (literally). The film's ending, hopeful as it is, feels a bit underwhelming.

Source Code- Grade B+

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain, Love and Other Drugs), Michelle Monaghan (Eagle Eye, Maid of Honor), Vera Farmiga (Up In the Air, Orphan)
Directed By: Duncan Jones (Moon)
Release Date: April 1, 2011
Opening Weekend:
Rating: PG-13
Run Time: 1 Hour 33 Minutes
Synopsis: Soldier wakes up in body of dead terrorist attack victim on train in Chicago. Soldier finds out he's in secret military program that transports him into last 8 minutes of train victim's life. Soldier has no idea how he go into program. Soldier has to relive last 8 minutes to figure out train bomber's identity to save Chicago from future terrorist attack.  Soldier keeps failing mission, each time becoming more personally attached to people on doomed train even though he cannot change their fate. Soldier uncovers devastating truth about how he got into secret military program.



So How Was It?: Best piece of advice for watching this film? Just go with it. Don't think about it too logically or you'll end up being too frustrated to get the point of it. It's more a character driven story about compassion and the morality of how far we'll go for national security than it is a realistic film.


Even with its original concept of governmental time travel, Source Code still isn't overly memorable or moving. It's definitely not bad, it just isn't amazing. It's solid in its performances and ability to keep suspense building though. Where it starts to fumble is with its overly romanticized, borderline cheesy ending. It's jarring because even at its most head scratching of moments, Source Code still feels believable or at the very least, the audience wants it to be believable. Then the film just throws all of that away for what we call in my screenwriting class, a "Hollywood ending" meant to satisfy investors of the film. The film tried too hard to force its love story when in reality, what was far more interesting and meaningful were the underlying psychological issues soldier Colter Stevens (Gyllenhaal) was going through as he discovered what the Source Code program really was.

Limitless- Grade: B

Starring: Bradley Cooper (The Hangover, Wedding Crashers), Abbie Cornish (Stop Loss, Bright Star), Robert DeNiro (everything)
Directed By: Neil Burger (The Illusionist)
Release Date: March 18, 2011
Opening Weekend: $18,907,302
Rating: PG- 13
Run Time: 1 Hour 45 Min
Synopsis: Man is failing in life. Man gets hold of super secret brain drug. Man is able to use 100% of his brain. Man is super humanly smart and becomes very rich and powerful. Other very rich and powerful people begin to notice and try to use man. Man starts to feel the negative side effects of the drug. Man's life starts falling apart.



So How Was It?: What hooks you in is the insanely interesting concept of super human intelligence and what a life of limitless success would be like; a life where you could literally do anything you put your mind to. Layer that with really cool special effects, fast cars, beaches, good looking people and a surprisingly relatable, undriven protagonist (Eddie Morra) and you've got yourself one very fun (and often funny) movie.
Fun can't last forever though, and sadly, Limitless loses a bit of its innovative spark towards the end. The ending feels out of synch with the rest of the film, especially with character development. We spend so much time with Eddie in the first three quarters of the film. We root for him. We get to know him. We feel what he feels. We see what he sees (literally). And then it all stops and bam, we're thrown a year into the future and expect to believe that he has changed as much as he has, with no real explanation for his actions (not to mention his bizarrely horrible haircut). Then the screen goes blank and we're left wondering, wait...what?