Here is one you might have missed, it was an indie release. The cast really made this film, and the direction by Thomas McCarthy who also wrote the screenplay was wonderfully done. I think most people will find this film quite enjoyable; the characters are fascinating enough to keep you interested for the duration of the film.
The main story is about a man born with dwarfism who enjoys train spotting as his hobby. He inherits some New Jersey station property in a remote location and along the way of moving to the area – he meets a few interesting people who greatly affect his life. In some ways, he becomes an inspiration to them by demonstrating his drive and determination to succeed in everything he does not being limited by his small stature.
Each one of these people are unique, and I think that is the bottom line about this film, it shows how we all are individuals who seek to find our purpose in life one way or another. The film was labeled as a comedy/drama and it is pretty true to being that. There are some light hearted moments thrown inside this story as well as dramatic ones. New Jersey native Peter Dinklage portrays the character Finbar McBride who is the lead actor in this, in real life he often jokes about his size and doesn’t let it bother him as it once did when he was a teenager.
There aren’t many actors in this film, but it keeps at a good pace. Raven Goodwin plays Cleo and I thought she did a nice job opposite of Peter Dinklage (Finbar).
He meets up later in the story with Patricia Clarkson, who plays Olivia Harris who is a broken woman with different issues seeking solitude from the rest of the world. Richard Kind plays Louis Tiboni, Paul Benjamin plays Henry Styles, Jase Blankfort plays the Store Customer, Paula Garcés plays the Cashier, Josh Pais plays Carl, Bobby Cannavale plays Joe Oramas, Lynn Cohen plays Patty, Marla Sucharetza plays Janice, Jayce Bartok plays Chris, Joe Lo Truglio plays Danny, also keep your eyes open for Michelle Williams who plays Emily and John Slattery playing David.
The director did a good job at balancing things and the film has its appeal, it is a charming story, and I think most will enjoy seeing this one.
We just finished seeing this one; I thought it was a fairly interesting plot, although it moves at a rather slow pace. You will either guess the outcome pretty quickly or be fooled by the time the story concludes. The re-pairing of Martin Scorsese with Leonardo DiCaprio seems to work well. Some actors and directors seem to be on the same page with things, and this is an example of that. Previously, they worked together on the films The Departed (2006), The Aviator (2004), and Gangs of New York (2002).
I think this is one of Leonardo DiCaprio’s finest performances to date. He has certainly grown as an actor demonstrating his gift to act on the big screen. Ellen Lewis and Meghan Rafferty should be given praise for their part in casting, without these collective talents brought together the film would have never reached the heights it did.
There was some back buzz around this movie when it was released February 19, 2010. But, it seemed to get rushed to DVD rather quickly. I missed it in the theater, but would have liked to have seen the difference on the big screen and in a dark movie theater. I’m sure for a film such as this; it would have added a certain something. However, while watching this movie, it rained and thundered outside helping to set the mood.
The film has a horror-like atmosphere about it, giving ongoing paranoid induced moments. The trailer even seems to capture this. The story is set in the year 1954, and takes place on a remote island where the place is secluded from the outside world without interference. Mark Ruffalo plays Chuck Aule and accompanies Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) they are both federal marshals trying to figure out what in the world is going on. The suspense strums along with strange sound effects and musical interludes.
The cast includes a number of talents such as Ben Kingsley playing Dr. Cawley, Max von Sydow playing Dr. Naehring, Michelle Williams playing Dolores Chanal, John Carroll Lynch plays Deputy Warden McPherson. Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, and Ted Levine all make appearances in this as well.
Keep your eyes open also for Elias Koteas playing Laeddis, Robin Bartlett as Bridget Kearns, Christopher Denham as Peter Breene, Nellie Sciutto plays Nurse Marino, Joseph Sikora plays Glen Miga, and Jackie Earle Haley plays George Noyce.
This film is your run of the mill psychological thriller, which keeps you wondering for most of the film. I found it to be entertaining and the cast were better than average. This film may not be for everyone, it was advertised differently than what it turned out to be. Still, it was good enough to watch but fair warning for the graphic subject matter which this film has.
Domestically, the film has a runtime of 138 minutes, and had a budget of $80 million it has grossed $290,876,238 million.
I was thinking about a good family film that was entertaining and fun to watch. This one I think was a standout. The cast includes a number of talent individuals who bring something to this story. There are loads of setup gags, and some action sequences thrown into the mix. Joe Johnston brings his flair for theatrics in his own special way. He has previously done other films such as Jurassic Park III (2001), Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), and his upcoming film The Wolfman (2010). The writing credits go to Jonathan Hensleigh, Greg Taylor, and Jim Strain for the screenplay. The film was based upon the book by Chris Van Allsburg.
I watched this film in the theatre by myself when it was released, it was a fun experience. I remember children in the theatre laughing at some of the scenes, and one kid in particular had a funny laugh which added something as well. The story is about a board game, which has magical powers to bring forth things to reality such as monkeys, rhinos, spiders and more. Imagine a jungle appearing inside your town and all the havoc it would bring. This is what happens to the cast as they are forced to finish playing the game and try to win it.
The story follows a young Alan Parrish played by Adam Hann-Byrd he is a boy who discovers a unique board game; he decides he wants to try it out along with a friend of his named Sarah played by Laura Bell Bundy who lives nearby. Little do they know what would happen as they continued playing? Alan is hoisted away into the Jumanji jungles as his friend Sarah gasps in horror.
Fast forward time to modern day, as Nora Shepherd played by Bebe Neuwirth moves into her new home formerly owned by the Parrish family along with her nephew Peter Shepherd played by Bradley Pierce and her niece played Kirsten Dunst as Judy Shepherd. Alan Parrish returns after the children (Peter and Judy) decide to play the same board game again and the younger Alan returns as a grown man after his time away living in the jungle. He is played by Robin Williams who did a terrific job with the part; Bonnie Hunt plays the older Sarah who is now much older as well. I think she was a standout in this film as well.
More of the cast includes Jonathan Hyde playing both Van Pelt and Sam Parrish; you might recognize him from other films such as The Mummy (1999) or Titanic (1997). David Alan Grier plays Bentley, Patricia Clarkson is Carol Parrish, James Handy is the Exterminator, Gillian Barber is Mrs. Thomas, Brandon Obray is Benjamin, Cyrus Thiedeke is Caleb, and Gary Joseph Thorup is Billy Jessup.
Jumanji received attention from a few different awards; the film won a Saturn Award for Best Special Effects by Stan Parks, and Best Supporting Actress by Bonnie Hunt. There were a few nominations as well including: Best Actor Robin Williams, Best Director Joe Johnston, Best Fantasy Film, and Best Performance by a Younger Actor by Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce who were both nominated for.
I think you will find this to be a delightful film, and it certainly holds up as a good one to watch even now as something you can enjoy together with friends and family. I highly recommend seeing this one.
This movie was not what I expected it to be. I thought it would be more of a comedy. But it turns out to be more of a drama which was ok. The story is set with a man who is just a tad out of touch with people; maybe this is an understatement – since he befriends a life-sized female sex doll. This becomes the object of his affections with him carrying on conversations with her in his mind, thinking she is real. But he has many personal issues to overcome first. And this doll is part of the problem or solution as the case might be. The actor playing this role is Ryan Gosling whom you might remember from The Notebook (2004) starring alongside Rachel McAdams. He really breathes life into his plastic friend and the character of Lars.
The talented Emily Mortimer plays his sister in law. I remember her from A Foreign Affair (2003) and other films. And his brother is played by Paul Scheider who appeared in Elizabethtown (2005). There are more noteworthy appearances in this one such as Kelli Garner who is doing one of the voices for the upcoming release of G-Force (2009). And Patricia Clarkson is a doctor/psychologist named Dagmar. She has appeared in a number of films. The story unfolds in a good pace, but some scene trimming might have helped get the point of the story across quicker, and it would have made this a better movie. Still though, it’s worth a watch if you are in the mood for an unusual story that was acted out well by the cast.
I watched this movie with my wife, and both of us enjoyed it. This is one of Woody Allen’s best movies in my opinion. His direction has grown better over the years. The story is set in Spain where two friends decide they will take a break from their everyday lives back home. They find more than they ever thought they would when they meet up with Juan Antonio Gonzalo played by Javier Bardem from No Country for Old Men (2007).
The two best friends are played by Scarlett Johansson from Girl with a Pearl Earring (2008) as Cristina and Rebecca Hall from Frost/Nixon (2008) as Vicky. He seduces both of these women with his charm first at a restaurant, and lures them away to a weekend getaway at Oviedo. Vicky decides that she is not interested but Cristina accepts the offer. Things change as Cristina suddenly feels bad from an ulcer she develops and then Vicky cautiously decides to accompany Juan. Everything from that point changes in their lives as feelings develop as well as relationships between them.
The actress Patricia Clarkson from The Station Agent (2003) is in a supporting role in this story as: Judy Nash a friend to both of the ladies trying to give guidance along the way.
Juan’s former wife Maria Elena played by actress Penélope Cruz from Sahara (2005) later decides to move back in as she has nowhere left to go. Cristina at first is upset about this and they butt heads in the beginning of their meeting. Will they get along and what will happen by the end of this story? Find out tonight and go rent this one. I give this one two thumbs up.
