The Future Is Now..."The Circle"

The Circle (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, Ellar Coltrane, Glenne Headley, Bill Paxton, Karen Gillan, John Boyega

Directed by James Ponsoldt

The Story:

Mae (Watson) lands a job at The Circle. As she quickly moves up the ranks of employees, her life and importance to the company rapidly changes in ways she could never dream. As her company prepares to unveil their latest technological marvel, Mae has to make a decision that could alter humanity...forever!

Imagine a world where everyone is addicted to technology...

Oh, wait...

Imagine a world where giant technology firms seemingly invade the private lives of their users and employees...

Oh, wait...

So you see, this isn't so much a futuristic thriller as it is a mashup of life as we already know it.

It's both a movie that was a warning to deliver to the audience about these tech giants, but they meander and present the message in such a way that you almost don't care about it, or any of the characters by the time they get around to doing it.

Hanks is charming, with a touch of sinister in the Jobs-like role of Bailey, The Circle's founder.

Yet while watching this film, I realized further that I'll never "get" the appeal of Emma Watson as an actress.

I'm sure that giant cry of blasphemy is from all the Harry Potter fans out there, but with the knowledge that I have not, nor will I likely ever see those movies either, you'll never win me over with that argument.

She just always seems so wooden, or fake to me in all of the roles I have seen her in, I will follow her career with indifference at this point.

The movie is watchable enough, but could have used some serious editing to reduce the run-time from the nearly two hours to a more crisp and effective 90 minutes.

Pick up the pace, trim a lot of the unnecessary subplots that really go nowhere, and you might have had something.

Instead, go find The Truman Show, Nerve,  or any of the other films that have used the "we're watching you" again, and enjoy a much better movie.

Final Grade: C-

If You Smell...What Tom Hanks...Is Cooking! "Inferno"

Inferno (2016)  

Rated PG-13

Starring Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Omar Sy, Irrfan Khan, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Ben Foster, Ana Ularu

Directed by Ron Howard

The Story:

Symbologist Robert Langdon (Hanks) awakes in a hospital with no memory of how he got there. As Dr. Brooks (Jones) helps to try and piece some of the missing pieces of what happened back, someone attempts to kill Langdon. They escape, and begin a whirlwind world tour trying to stay one step of the people trying to kill Langdon while attempting to solve a puzzle left behind from a zealot billionaire (Foster) who has devised a virus that will render the majority of the world's population extinct.

Well, I guess I was wrong about reviewing the last of the 2016 sequels to long-dormant franchises a few weeks back.

THIS is the last one.

I'm almost sure of it.

:)

So if  you remember The Da Vinci Code from way back in 2006, or Angels and Demons from 2009, then you are already familiar with the character played by Hanks and what he does.

However if you never saw those films, or like me, vaguely remember seeing them back in the day, and that's really your only recollection of the films, then you'll probably still be okay.

On its own, it's a slick thriller with competent direction by the always reliable Ron Howard.

This time, instead of direct involvement with the church and overtly religious tones, it's dialed back a bit as the mystery centers on the works of the poet Dante and his work: Inferno.

Add a touch of the modern spy thriller, and you have a film that is going to do the best it can to keep you guessing at what happens next, who you can trust, and what it all means.

Naturally, some things work better than others, but the film is filled with enough interesting characters and a pretty talented cast from top to bottom that they make all of the characters have a three dimensional feeling and they aren't just cardboard caricatures helping to prop up the movie.

I'm not sure if there will be another film in the series, but I doubt they'll want to wait another decade if they decide to continue the films. Hanks and Howard aren't getting any younger.

It's quite likely that instead we'll be treated to a cinematic reboot, and that means that most likely Chris Pine will be taking over the role in the next outing.

: )

Final Grade: B-

"Sully" Can Be My Pilot Anytime

Sully (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney, Valerie Mahaffey, Mike O'Malley, Katie Couric

Directed by Clint Eastwood

The Story:

In 2009, a plane carrying 155 passengers and crew was hit by a massive bird strike after take off, disabling both engines. The captain (Hanks) made a decision to force a water landing on the Hudson River as he felt there was not enough time and power in the plane to make it to any of the neighboring airports. Everyone survived the "Miracle on the Hudson". However, as with all crashes, an investigation was underway, and the panel was determined to prove that Sully acted recklessly and could have indeed landed at an airport.

File this one under miraculous true story.

The movie starts with a bang, and never truly lets up.

Yet it is also paced just slow enough to not feel rushed.

Eastwood has settled in so comfortably behind the camera, and his films are usually quiet, yet emotionally impacting, and this one is no different.

The movie uses creative choices for flashbacks to fill you in on the narrative of Sully's life, so it doesn't unfold like a biography.

It helps to build towards the finale when all of the pieces of Sully's life and upbringing come into play when he makes the decision for a water landing, eschewing the normal protocol of turning back or heading to the other neighboring airports.

It will all come down to the mock flight tests that are performed to decide whether Sully gets to continue his aviation career, or if he is grounded, even though he saved everyone on board.

Final Grade: A-

Surviving The Cold War..."Bridge Of Spies"

Bridge of Spies (2015)

Rated

Starring Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda, Amy Ryan, Austin Stowell

Directed by Steven Spielberg

The Story:

James Donovan (Hanks) is selected by the CIA to defend Rudolf Abel (Rylance) who is charged with spying on America and giving intelligence to the Russian government. Naturally, defending a spy during the Cold War isn't the most glamorous position to be in, and Donovan suffers for it. He does provide an intriguing twist to the proceedings when it is time for the sentencing, one that would have repercussions years later when American pilot Franci Gary Powers (Stowell) would be shot down in his U2 plane while flying over Russian airspace.

This is their story.

And, aside from some dramatics, most of the story is roughly true, and condensed for time.

Yet it is always a tense and gripping drama and spy thriller all rolled into one.

Hanks and Spielberg know each other so well and they do exactly what they need to complement the other in what they do.

Mark Rylance however, is quite wonderful as the accused spy. Never bending, never breaking, and always with a bit of wit to his credit, his performance brings much levity and heart to the story.

Now for the second time in as many weeks, I must seriously ask if this was indeed an Oscar worthy performance?

My gut instinct: No.

While he is a great supporting actor in this movie, his support is very minor. I think of all the nominees, he ends up with the least amount of screen time.

I'll get to that review and who should have won soon enough, but I won't begrudge Rylance his statue. It's a very good performance and he would have been my 2nd choice to win of the group mentioned.

Naturally, as with most spy or heist movies, I try not to say too much to avoid any potential spoilers.

Watch this one, you're very likely to enjoy it.

Final Grade: Solid B

And Now For Your Movie Of The Week... "Saving Mr. Banks"

Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

Rated PG-13 for thematic reasons...

Starring: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Annie Rose Buckley, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, B.J. Novak, Jason Schwartzman

Directed by John Lee Hancock

The Story:

Author P.L. Travers (Thompson) has fought off the advances of Walt Disney (Hanks) for over 20 years.  He wants her book, Mary Poppins, to be brought to life onscreen to fulfill a promise to his daughters.  Travers is not interested in seeing her very personal story brought to life in an animated movie, but agrees to meet with Disney to see what will happen.  She is very insistent on everything, including recording her sessions with Disney's representatives Don DaGradi (Whitford) and the Sherman Brothers (Novak and Schwartzman).  However, it is flashbacks to the story behind the Mary Poppins story that reveal why this tale is so important to Travers and why she is so insistent on not giving it to Disney.

We all know that she relents eventually, but the journey is one worth taking to see how she gets there.

I was expecting a good movie.

I don't know that I was expecting it to be *this* good though.

The story opens with flashbacks to Travers as a girl named Ginty (Buckley) who absolutely adores her father (Farrell).  When they move to the end of the line in Australia to take on a new bank job, their mother (Wilson) is nearing the end of her rope.  Mr. Goff is an alcoholic and this is the latest in a series of jobs that have taken a toll on the family.

Yet the father is so sweet, fun and loving, it's impossible not to feel why Ginty loves her dad.

The movie moves back and forth between flashbacks of life in Australia and Travers' meetings at the Disney studios.

While Hanks does an admirable job as Walt Disney, it should be noted that the majority of Travers meetings are with screenwriter DaGradi and Richard and Robert Sherman.  In fact, Disney himself probably has the least amount of screen time in the whole movie of all of the characters. 

And that's not a bad thing.

This is the heart and soul of most of the conflict within the movie, as everything they pitch to her, she rebuffs.

Robert Sherman is the first to openly even question "does it even matter?" to many of her objections, much to the horror of his partners.

Travers remains insistent that the film not be animated and not be a musical.

So you can tell, it's a long, uphill battle for Disney's team to win her over.

However, it's when they realize how personal the story is to Travers, and how they can remedy the tale by providing a happy ending to Mr. Banks that her father never had, that Travers finally relents.

Naturally, being based on a true story, much of the tale is open to interpretation and change.

That said, I like the way the movie played out, and have a better appreciation for Mary Poppins than I did previously.

Plus, this adds yet another layer of appreciation for what the Sherman Brothers brought to Disney studios.  These two are geniuses that deserve much more notoriety and accolades than they have received.  Their songs alone provide much of the heart of the films they provided songwriting duties for.

Including this one.

Well worth a viewing.

Final Grade: A-/B+ range

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I'm sure I'm the only one in the house, but much like Mary Poppins, I liked it and wouldn't mind owning it and/or watching it again someday.

You Say You Want A (Musical) Revolution Weekend... "The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles"

The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles

Feb 9th, 1964.

Ed Sullivan introduced the Fab Four to North America.

The world was never the same.

While the Beatles didn't create Rock & Roll, they did redefine it.

50 Years later, the Grammys pulls out an all-star tribute to the Beatles.

Here's some thoughts I had as the extravaganza unfolded...

First, I don't think I will poke too many holes in the performers that got up on stage and offered their renditions.  Some more faithful than others.  Some that were cleverly repackaged.

Why?

Well, it's two-fold.

First, it takes some nerves to get up on stage that is pandering to an audience filled with other singers and celebrities and saying "I'm going to do a Beatles song!"

Then, multiply that by infinity, because you're also doing this performance in front of Paul and Ringo!

As the cameraman caught all throughout the night, Paul McCartney loves to singalong to the Beatles songs.  I would imagine it's reflex.

Next, I think they really, really, really missed out by not having Dhani Harrison and Julian Lennon get up on stage and perform at least one number with Paul and Ringo.  It would have been surreal and awesome.  Surreally awesome, even!



Loved the backstage interviews with the crew that was there on that night, as well as Letterman's interviews with Paul and Ringo back on the actual Ed Sullivan stage where it all began.

It could have used some editing, and it sounds like a DVD could come out with the trimmed for time footage.

I wish they would have aired the Beatles entire performance on the Ed Sullivan show, but again, perhaps they will add that to the DVD.

I think they could also do without so much showing the audience during these shows.  I'm not watching to see what other people think of musicians singing.  I want to see them singing.

Otherwise you end up panning to Tom Hanks awkwardly caught not singing to Hey Jude at the end.

Tsk tsk Mr. Hanks.

Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I don't think I'll buy it on DVD, but I've got it recorded and there were a few numbers worth revisiting in the future.

Proof I Saw One Good Film This Week... "Captain Phillips"

Captain Phillips (2013)
Rated PG-13 for language and violence

Starring Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener, Barkhad Abdi
Directed by Paul Greengrass

The Story:

Captain Phillips (Hanks) kisses his wife (Keener) goodbye and heads out to captain his container ship through the dangerous waters off of Somalia in 2009.  When his vessel is boarded by pirate captain Muse (Abdi), Phillips winds up in a hostage situation and his only chance at survival is the intervention of the U.S. Navy.

This is a movie that sneaks up on you.

It is equal parts drama, and thriller.

The suspense ratchets up a notch at a time with each passing moment, until it all explodes at the end of the film in a climax that ends the situation in but a moment.

Hanks is great, as always, inhabiting the role of Captain Phillips.  His performance is subtle and you can't help but feel for his character as he does everything he can to keep his ship safe...then his crew...then himself.

When the final act unfolds, I found myself a little misty eyed at the conclusion of the rescue effort.

That's how masterfully Greengrass was able to pull off a rather straightforward action yarn so that you feel nearly as exhausted as Phillips by the end of his ordeal.

Well done.

Final Grade: B+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: While not a film I'd likely buy, I would watch it again in the future.

"Cloud Atlas" Several Hundred Years Crammed Into 3 Hours

Well, that was something.

The Story:

Six different stories.  All linked together through time and space.  From a slave ship in the 1800s to a far flung dystopian future, this film has it all.  Not that thrilled with the current story, wait a few minutes, and it will all change.  To explain this movie's plots much further will either confuse you further, or give away everything...or nothing.

I'm still not sure.

:)

Make no mistake about it, this movie is long.  It's about 3 hours long.

That said, unlike 90 minute movies that feel 3 hours long, this movie doesn't drag too terribly much, and so the 3 hours doesn't feel too laborious.

The cast, some more recognizable than others under makeup do a tremendous job of changing personalities, genders and race as the stories weave in and out of each other.

Among those are Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant and Susan Sarandon.

My favorite tale of the group would be the one set in the "present", 2012.  Next, 1973 and then 1849.  Finally, the 1930 tale rounded out my more favorite moments from the film.

My least favorite tales were the two future stories, but your mileage may vary.

The movie was highly ambitious and overachieving, but definitely something.  They aimed for the stars, and came up somewhat short, but I give them much credit for trying.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Doubtful, but that's due more to the length and tone than anything.