joanne-ca

All of the Netflix promotion for Bird Box was a curiosity for me as I get accustomed to hype I associate with movie theatre releases. It was cool to be able to settle down in front of my own television for what was presented to me as a movie theatre experience. The movie itself is rocker recliner worthy, thanks in large measure to Sandra Bulloch. I find her entertaining to watch in whatever she does - I just like her presence and this movie was among the best to showcase the gritty dispassionate persona she excels at portraying. John Malkovich was mildly irritating owing to being the stereotypical malcontent character but that was the only drawback for me. In terms of the storyline, it doesn't hold up at all under second sober thought, but by then the movie is over, I'm off to bed, and most importantly, I've had my entertainment fix.

The tag line for this documentary, "in 2009 three young men are killed in Yellowstone National Park", caused me to think I would be watching a typical investigative journalism piece. Evidence would be presented, key actors in the case would be interviewed and whatever occurred that was relevant to the murder would be re-enacted. Boy, did I have it wrong! This documentary, for someone like myself completely unawares of this murder and unfolding, left me speechless. The presentation of the story was meticulously crafted, delivered and filmed. With a story like this, the decisions about what and how to let the audience know the facts that have been uncovered are critical to leaving the greatest impact, without overstating events. This documentary is wildly successful in this regards.

Denzel Washington can carry a movie and that is the only reason that seeing this movie isn't a complete disappointment. As a Canadian I wondered if the movie never seemed to get out of the gate because I missed Los Angeles cultural nuances that for the conversant made it filled with purpose. I found that the characters had a lot about themselves and their lives that could have been developed, but only the surface was skimmed. Background was in staccato snippets that left a lot on the table in terms of building depth, drawing me in, or giving me a good reason to keep watching. Not all occurrences in the movie were plausible, which is problematic as the movie aims to be realistic. The character of George was unexpectedly interesting, so that added a star to my bottom line.

It's a drag going to a movie that your companions say has bad reviews so I really girded my loins expecting the worst out of Ben-Hur. But, Ben-Hur is actually a very enjoyable movie and to me, an unfair victim of negative reviews. I like a movie with a story that is cohesive from start to finish, and Ben-Hur has that. The visual appeal of the movie's setting was also a big plus, especially the Jerusalem environs. The action scenes were just fine for me. They were compelling and realistic without being gratuitous. The sea battle was quite gripping. The relationship scenarios offered good drama and were especially strong in scenes involving tensions and conflict with the Romans. As a Christian I was also very comfortable with the Biblical aspect and the presence of Jesus. All in all, a fine movie that I think good-hearted, happy people will appreciate seeing.

This documentary, about the endangered Asian elephant in Thailand, profiles the reality facing a young elephant, Nong Mai, who her owner, Wok, has pressed into illegal begging on the streets of Bangkok. Insight into the threats to the Asian elephant population unfolds alongside the tragedy of seeing the day-to-day grind and pain of Nong Mai's captivity. Loss of habitat (95 percent of Thailand's forests have been harvested and replaced with urban centres or rice fields), poaching for ivory, elephant tourist shows and illegal street begging have so seriously undermined wild elephant populations that they are considered a threatened species. The film also points out the decisions and actions taken by the Thailand government, and conservation organizations, to protect and regenerate the Asian elephant population - which is also a powerful means to regenerate lost forest. When Elephants are Young is powerfully informative and is sure to prompt anyone who watches the film to take part in helping to conserve the wild Asian elephant population in the variety of ways offered.

As a Downton Abbey fan, completely out of episodes to watch, I was grateful to have Mr. Selfridge to turn to. With a week of completely free-form time on my hands I wanted the great luxury of spending a decadent number of consecutive hours consuming an entire season of shows in one sitting, night after night. Mr. Selfridge filled the bill beautifully. Oh, it is pretty light and with a few dropped threads, but no matter, I was happy from the opening score. The characters are easy to develop an affection for, especially Mr. Harry Selfridge. Over the course of the three seasons you witness a man rising to the top of his game, operating a large department store in turn of the 20th century London. Typical birth-life-death situations, plus the extraordinary game changer of World War One, unfold in the lives of Harry, his family and selected employees. Throughout it all, important lessons are learned, while the bad actors ultimately get their comeuppance. One unexpected dimension was the historical look at the development of department store marketing. While not presented in- depth, there was sufficient homage paid to innovations risked by Mr. Selfridge to give a good insight into the evolution of retailing. Window dressers in particular will love the series!

As a woman of the same age as Meryl Streep I loved the command Ms. Streep had of the movie and its agenda. She portrayed a character that owned the camera and the audience. The relationship between character Ricki (Linda) and Maureen, Ricki's former husband's current wife, was also a positive dimension. It was a rare yet powerful example of women supporting each other. I found myself fascinated with the on-stage segments of the movie where Ms. Street performed as long-standing rocker Ricki. The band members were perfectly cast, making for the ideal look of stage grizzle resulting from way too many nights of performing. Secondary characters were somewhat cliché to me, but they worked in well with the primary plot of contrasting Ricki with the life she fled from in order to pursue the low-level rock and roll grind. The scenes in the gated home of Ricki's former husband reminded me of Something's Gotta Give, and contributed to some of the movie's pans. At the end of the movie, I was glad to have seen it and especially to experience Meryl Streep's take on Ricki. Magnificent actor - thanks Meryl Streep!!