Movies

Terror in Mumbai

I recently watched Terror in Mumbai (2009).  From HuffPo:

When ten young men from Pakistan entered Mumbai aboard hi-jacked boats on the night of 26th November 2008, they had one intention: to create a terror that would grip international media and make the world sit up and take notice of Lashkar-e-Taiba -- the Army of the Righteous, a previously little known terrorist organization based in Pakistan.

And it's this intention, despite the extreme violence, allegations against Pakistan and shocking negligence of elements in the Mumbai police force, which really sticks with the viewer of Terror in Mumbai. The more you watch, the more you realize they succeeded.

The film has a unique perspective because it incorporates the cell-phone calls that the masterminds in Pakistan used to direct the terrorists during attack and footage of the sole surviving attacker being interviewed in police custody.  Here is the trailer:

I give it 4 out of 5.

Boy Interrupted

boy_interrupted I recently watched Boy Interrupted (2008).

On the night of Oct. 2, 2005, Hart and Dana Perry’s 15-year-old son Evan jumped to his death from his New York City bedroom window. This moving film is the story, told by his filmmaker parents and others who knew him, of Evan’s life and death, and his life-long struggle with bipolar disorder. It delves into the complexity of Evan’s disease, sharing his family’s journey through the maze of mental illness. In showing how one family deals with generations of loss and grief, the film defies the stigma related to mental illness and suicide and tells a human story that touches everyone.

For a parent of a kid who is presumably healthy but occasionally seems "bipolar" or makes suicidal statements, this film is chilling.

I give it 4 out of 5.

Coraline

200px-Coraline_poster Today we watched Coraline (2009,PG) for family movie night.  From ScreenIt!:

A lonely and bored preteen discovers a tunnel in her new house that leads to an alternate reality where most everything is the same, save for attentive parents who have buttons for eyes and want her to join them there.

Finn needed some convincing ahead of time about watching a movie that had people with buttons for eyes.  We convinced him to give it a chance.  The boys enjoyed it.  Finn said, "It wasn't scary.  It was creepy.  Indiana Jones was scary."

I give it 4 out of 5.

Body of Lies

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Tonight I finished watching Body of Lies (2008,R).  From Screen It!:

A Middle East based CIA field operative clashes with his supervisor back in the states as the two try to find and stop a terrorist ringleader.

We started it last weekend.  Lisa gave up on it pretty quickly with all of the non-stop gunfire at the beginning.  She missed the romance in the middle before the violence returned at the end.  It was OK...reminded me of The Kingdom

I give it 3 out of 5.

Taken

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Tonight we watched Taken (2009,PG-13).  From ScreenIt!:

A former CIA agent uses every tool in his arsenal and leaves many bad guys in his wake as he tries to find and rescue his 17-year-old daughter who's been kidnapped into the sex slave trade while vacationing in Paris.

It’s chock full of violence and a bit too far-fetched over and over again.  Also, Lisa says the boys are never going to Europe alone.

I give it 3 out of 5.

Revolutionary Road

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Last night we watched Revolutionary Road (2008,R).  From ScreenIt!:

A 1950s era couple must contend with their unhappy marriage as well as unexpected developments that threaten to derail the wife's plan to save their relationship and make them happy.

I couldn’t help thinking of Mad Men with DiCaprio’s character feeling like a slightly-more-hip Pete Campbell.  Also, somehow the dysfunctional families and mood of this film somehow reminded of those in Ang Lee’s The Ice Storm.

I give it 4 out of 5.

The Blind Side

225px-Blind_side_poster After opening presents Christmas morning, we went to see The Blind Side (2009,PG-13).  From ScreenIt!:

A confident woman and her Southern family take in a poor and undereducated teen, give him the home life he never had, and help him hone his football skills that make him a top college prospect.

The scenes in the projects of Memphis reminded me of the times Lisa and I visited similar places in Knoxville to bring kids to church.  Although I think some of the film’s critics make valid points, (as I mentioned before) I’m a sucker for inspiring sports movies and themes of racial reconciliation.

I give it 5 out of 5.

Raiders of the Lost Ark

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A few weeks back we watched Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981,PG) for family movie night.  I’m sure I’d seen it before, but it was interesting because it felt more like it was familiar more from clips I’d seen, video games as a kid, and the show at Universal Studios theme park.  The kids enjoyed it.  I was kind of surprised that it didn’t seem to spook Finn.  Hopefully it was the first time they’ve seen exploding bodies. :-) 

I give it 4 out of 5.

The Upside of Anger

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I recently watched The Upside of Anger (2005,R).  From ScreenIt!:

A woman tries to deal with her anger regarding her husband who's disappeared and left her alone to raise their daughters whose actions and decisions challenge her in various ways.

It was fine but nothing special.  I suspect the fairer sex would relate more to the relationships between the sisters and with their mom.

I give it 3 out of 5.

The Village

200px-The_Village_movie I recently watched The Village (2004,PG-13).  From ScreenIt!:

Old-fashioned members of an isolated and simple village must contend with what appear to be incursions of monsters from an adjacent forest.

I know this one wasn’t critically-acclaimed, but I generally enjoy Shyamalan’s films including this one.

I give it 4 out of 5.

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