Pirate of the Caribbean pt 4

Met up with Julie and Janeen last night to see "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" (or what I shall refer to as "Pirates 4").  I had seen the first two in the series, but the second one was so stupid that I didn't see the third one.  So I wasn't all that interested in seeing #4, but figured I'd give it a try.  And boy, am I glad I did.  Because it's the most fun I've had at the movies in a long time.  

In this installment, Johnny Depp is back as Captain Jack Sparrow, who is pressed by former flame Penelope Cruz into joining the crew of her Father, Blackbeard the Pirate (played by Ian McShane) and going on a search for the Fountain of Youth.  In hot pursuit is Captain Barbosa (Geoffrey Rush), now of His Majesty's Navy.  There's plenty of action, plenty of swordplay, and plenty of humor, and (thank goodness) Keira Knightley is nowhere to be found.  I admit I had my doubts about Director Rob Marshall being able to pull off a big-budget action movie, but pull it off he did.  It's a fantastic movie, and a perfect way to kick off the summer movie season.

Temple Grandin

Usually this blog focuses on feature movies, but I wanted to mention one today that was made for TV, and broadcast on HBO.  And that is "Temple Grandin".  It's the true story of an autistic woman, and how she overcomes the challenges presented by her disability to become a recognized authority on the cattle business, as well as a voice for those with autism.

It stars Claire Danes as Temple Grandin, and she is incredible.  She totally gets the speech cadence and the lack of boundaries, but overall lack of emotion displayed by an autistic person.  And she also displays a determination to be her best self that is really something to behold.  That Emmy award was very well deserved.  There are nice supporting turns also by Julia Ormond as Temple's mother, Catherine O'Hara as her Aunt (nice to see her in a dramatic role), and David Straitharn as her High School mentor.

It's a totally terrific movie - and suspenseful enough that you won't even want to take a potty break.  I highly recommend it.

The King's Speech

Finally saw this year's Best Picture winner, "The King's Speech".  And I have to say, it's an awesome movie.  Starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter, it's the story of Britain's King George VI, who ascended to the throne after the abdication of his brother, King Edward VIII.  King George, known as Bertie to his family, has a speech impediment, in that he has a severe stutter.  Knowing that his father, George V, is soon to die, and that his brother is not really kingly material, he begins to take a more active role.  And because he will need to give public speeches, he seeks out therapists to help him overcome his stutter.  He finally lands on an unorthodox therapist, Lionel Logue. 

Most of the movie is played out in the interaction between Bertie (Firth) and Logue (Rush).  They get to know each other on equal terms, and it's in his work with Logue that he learns to overcome his fears and finally assume the role he never wanted, that of King.  There's a lot of historical and political intrigue as well - how to manage what's happening in Germany and avoid war, and how King Edward's behavior with Wallis Simpson is causing distractions.

The acting is superb throughout - both from the two leads, and from Helena Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth.  Firth totally deserved his Best Actor Oscar.  He somehow manages the timing of trying to speak with a stammer, and maintains it in very long, scenes.  Rush is totally down-to-earth, and self-assured without being overly arrogant.  And Bonham Carter is by turns charming and supportive, and a steady, calming influence on both Bertie and Logue.

There's also several terrific cameo and supporting performances - Guy Pearce as King Edward, Anthony Andrews as Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, and Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill.  It's also fun to see Jennifer Ehle (as Logue's wife Myrna) on-screen with Colin Firth again, if only for a few moments.  And then there's Michael Gambon and Claire Bloom as King George V and Queen Mary. 

Now, some discussion of a rather notorious scene in the movie is in order.  The movie as originally released was Rated R, for a scene that included multiple instances of using the F-word.  That scene has now been re-worked to obtain a PG-13 rating.  And the F-word has been replaced by the S-word, although you can read the lips and still see the F-word being said.  If not for that one scene, the movie would certainly have received a PG rating.  The use of the word does make sense though, in context of the scene and what is happening.  Whatever the rating, see the movie.  It's a wonderful story of perseverance and overcoming fear to be our true selves.  I highly recommend.

The Maiden Heist

One of my favorite movie genres is the caper movie - whether they're trying to con someone, steal something, or break out of prison, if it has the word "caper" in the tagline, I'm definitely interested.  So I was excited to see one this week that is a couple of years old, but had never appeared on my radar.  It's called "The Maiden Heist".  Starring Christopher Walken, Morgan Freeman, William H. Macy, and Marcia Gay Harden, it's the story of three middle-aged museum security guards who come up with a plan to steal some of their favorite works of art, before they are sent off to another museum and a new exhibit takes their place.  Walken's favorite piece is called "Lonely Maiden", thus the title for the movie.

It's a cool, fun movie.  And really, how can it not be cool when it has Christopher Walken?  it's suspenseful, and you can tell the actors are having a terrific time.  I totally recommend it.

Word to the squeamish - You see "A LOT" of William H. Macy in this movie.  And it's really unnecessary.  While there are worse butts to see on film, you'll want to be prepared.

Classic Action/Adventure

Lest you think I don't like action movies, I should clarify that I do enjoy good ones.  And I've recently seen two classic action/adventure movies from THE most notable year for American movie-making, 1939.  Considering the crop of movies that were released that year, both of these movies were huge hits.  Little boys everywhere saw them and dreamed of adventuring to far off places to serve in the Army or in the French Foreign Legion.  And little girls everywhere dreamed of being swept off their feet by dashing soldiers.  I speak of course, of "Gunga Din" and "Beau Geste".

"Gunga Din" has a trio of stars, Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Victor McLaglen.  They serve as British soldiers in India, fighting evil natives bent on murder and destruction.  "Beau Geste" has a trio of stars, Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, and Robert Preston.  They serve in the French Foreign Legion in Africa, fighting evil natives bent on murder and destruction.  There's plenty of fisticuffs, and plenty of battles, and plenty of humor, along with plenty of cameraderie.  Both movies are so fun, I was practically ready to join up myself.

Surrogates

Typically I enjoy Bruce Willis movies.  He's got a lot of humor and charisma, and he's still quite the action star.  So I was expecting good things from his last picture, "Surrogates".  It's takes place in the not-too-distant future, where people live in a virtual world, living vicariously through their robot surrogates.  In fact, they're so hooked on the virtual experience that they really even go outside anymore.  In the middle of all this, a series of murders occurs.  Willis is a cop who is tasked with figuring out who done it.

And the verdict is - despite what could have been an interesting premise, what a disappointing, stupid movie.  I couldn't even suspend disbelief.  It's just chock full of stupid scenarios, not to mention bad science.  It's not even worth continuing to talk about.  I definitely recommend passing on this one.

Stepping Out

I've never been a big fan of Liza Minelli.  Love her mom, but Liza herself is just a little too much for me.  So I was pleasantly surprised by a picture of hers I saw recently called "Stepping Out".  Based on a stage play and released in 1991, apparently it never did much in theaters.  And that's really too bad, because it's a gem.  Simply put - it's the story of a tap dance instructor and the members of her class as they deal with their individual challenges while preparing for a charity show.  It's both sweet and funny, and it's got a terrific sound track, with songs by Kander and Ebb, among others and plenty of tap dancing.  It also has a cast that is to die for - Ellen Green, Bill Irwin, Jane Krakowski, Andrea Martin, Julie Walters, and Shelley Winters.  And of course there's Liza.  It's a great performance, both restrained and determined.  And there's a special number at the end where she and the rest of her squad really let loose.  A fabulous and joyful movie.  I highly recommend.