245 followers

314 daily readers

rank of 441

E-mail Subscription

Receive an e-mail notification of new posts on this site:

Category Quick Links

Cinema Voyage - Michael Pearson

This blog is PRIMARILY about movies. Some dvd and some that are still in the theater. Also, links are provided on some movies if you decide you want to purchase it. Also, I write and read quite a bit. So, you may, from time to time see a book review here from an up-and-coming author or an interview with one. If you have a book that you have written, please don't hesitate to contact me if you want an unbiased opinion. I would be happy to read and review what you've written. We should value our creative people more.

[ January 2009 ] [ March 2009 ]

Cinema Voyage - February 2009

Review - Nights In Rodanthe

February 28th 2009 15:09

Nights in Rodanthe is based on a Nicholas Sparks' novel (creator of the ever popular Notebook) and those familiar with his work, know that a certain amount of romance occurs and a lot of tear shedding will follow - usually by the reader or viewer. Well even though that is exactly what occurs in this case, watching an attractive well-matched couple such as Richard Gere and Diane Lane makes it so much easier to bear. This is the third pairing for the actors - the first in 1984's The Cotton Club directed by Francis Third Coppola and the second, Unfaithful, released in 2002 and they have perfected the coupling to a fine art.

I actually found this film refreshing and despite the fact that a weepie or romance film is not my genre of choice, I enjoyed watching the two actors together.

Dianne Lane plays Adrienne Willis, a tired mother struggling to find balance in her life with her two young children and a wayward husband (Christopher Meloni - best known for his role on Law and Order - Special Victims Unit). Retreating to Rodanthe to manage an inn for her best friend Jean (Viola Davis) in order to think things through, she meets the lone guest Dr Paul Flanner, visiting Rodanthe to meet his demons head on. Responsible for the death of a local women under his care as a plastic surgeon, he comes to Rodanthe at the wishes of the deceased women's husband (Scott Glenn).

The movie requires the viewer to suspend a certain amount of believability as the circumstances upon which these two characters meet is not entirely realistic but the way the relationship plays out has some very genuine and beautiful moments. A hurricane hits Rodanthe literally pushing them into each other's arms and it is the escape from the turmoil in each other's lives that brings comfort, more than the romance itself.

Their meeting is brief but memorable and after a few days together, Adrienne and Paul go their separate ways, maintaining a romantic relationship through letters as they slowly rebuild their own lives in order to reunite once again.

Director George C Wolfe moves away from his usual role in theatre work and does a good job with his first full length feature. The setting is gorgeous and the casting definitely works in the film's favour.

If you don't expect too much then you will enjoy the film immensely. The message of the movie is simple - it is about finding oneself and finding a love which will inspire you to be the best you can be.

Voyage Review: 3/5

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Drama

Email this Post to a Friend

Craven's The Last House On The Left

February 25th 2009 11:36

1972 was a good year for horror fans as it was the year Wes Craven came to be known for his first flick - the gruesome The Last House On The Left.

Due for release next month is the remake of the film although he has handed over the directing reigns to a lesser known Dennis Iliadis.

The original movie was set with an initial budget of $50,000 and was written and created in three weeks. The budget called for another $40,000 but the $90,000 film was an instant success and Wes has continued working with and around the horror genre ever since. Raised a Fundamentalist Baptist, it is strange to think that a man who had never seen a movie until his senior year in college is so synonomous with the world of film making.

The latest release stars Sara Paxton, Tony Goldwyn and Monica Potter and will be released with an R rating due to language, nudity, drug use and violence including that of a rape scene. The original movie of revenge pushed the boundaries of cinema viewing in the 70s, and it will be interesting to see how the remake will hold up against today's audience.

Check out the preview below.

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Movie Chatter

Email this Post to a Friend

Review - The Visitor

February 22nd 2009 11:39

I seem to have watched a lot of mediocre movies lately so The Visitor starring Richard Jenkins came as a refreshing surprise. Directed and written by Tom McCarthy - this is only his second film - the first being the engaging and delightful film The Station Agent.

Richard Jenkins plays Professor Walter Vale, an economics professor living in Connecticut. Letting life just pass him by after the death of his wife, Walter unwillingly travels to New York to present a paper at a conference. Not having visited his New York apartment in a while, Walter discovers that his apartment has been let as part of a real estate scam to Tarek (Haaz Sleiman), a drummer from Syria and Zainab (Danai Jekesai Gurira), a jewellery maker from Senegal.

This story relies heavily on human interaction and superb acting and Walter strikes up an immediate friendship to Tarek, despite Zainab's hesitancy to open up to him and allows them to stay with him in the apartment. Tarek and Walter couldn't be more different in terms of character or personality. Walter is seemingly dull, quiet and stodgy whereas Tarek is vibrant, open and alive.

Walter's wife was a concert pianist during her lifetime and Walter is naturally drawn to music, despite numerous failed attempts to learn the piano. Tarek takes him under his wing encouraging him to play the drum in both public and private venues. Returning home one afternoon, subway police apprehend Tarek and it is then that Walter discovers that both Tarek and Zainab are illegal immigrants.

Walter hires an immigration lawyer to assist with Tarek's case and Zainab, uncomfortable to remain without Tarek, moves out of the apartment to stay with her cousin. After being alone for so long it is clear that Walter is beginning to enjoy the human contact and is glad for the arrival of Tarek's mother Mouna (Hiam Abbass).

Don't be deceived. This is not an alls well that ends well movie. If you have ever had any dealings with immigration then you know that the system can be complicated and sometimes duly unfair. Slightly political in it's message, the movie does not dwell on the issue but rather guides you through the journey of these characters and the relationships that they foster.

The acting from the four leads in the movie is well balanced although the star of the movie is clearly Richard Jenkins and well deserving of his best actor nomination at the Academy Awards.

A graceful, heartfelt movie with some predictable moments but then again, life doesn't have to be unpredictable for it to be enjoyable.

Cinema Voyage: 4/5

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Drama

Email this Post to a Friend

Academy Awards 2009

February 20th 2009 10:49

22 February 2009 is the date set for the Oscars and no doubt controversy will follow in it's wake. Hugh Jackman is set to host the evening and as always, spectators will be following the fashion, as well as the results of the night.

Benjamin Button is up for an amazing 13 nominations and although it was one of my favourite films in 2008 I am sure that it will only take home a handful of those.
[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Movie Chatter

Email this Post to a Friend

Review - Mister Lonely

February 19th 2009 07:14

Mister Lonely is an odd, eccentric movie directed by writer/director Harmony Korine. Harmony’s career has been as odd as this movie and he is most well known for writing Kids in 1995 which was responsible for bringing Chloe Sevigny and Rosario Dawson into the spotlight. Directing wise he brought us Gummo in 1997 and Julien Donkey-Boy in 1999.

Mister Lonely follows Diego Luna as a Michael Jackson impersonator. He is uncomfortable in his own skin and prefers to hide behind Michael Jackson’s persona in order to get by in life. He himself remarks “All I want is to be better than myself, to become less ordinary and to find some purpose in this world. It is easier to see things in others, to see things you admire and then try and become that.”
[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Drama

Email this Post to a Friend

Review - Son of Rambow

February 18th 2009 10:49

Set in 1980’s Britain, Son of Rambow is a film about a friendship between two boys from contrasting backgrounds. The core of the movie will tug at your heartstrings although the majority of the film is a little hit and miss for my liking.

Will Proudfoot is played by Bill Milner, a loner who comes from a Brethren family who follow a strict moral code banning music, television and friendship with non-Brethren children. Will Poulter is Lee Carter, a bully and trouble maker who coerces Will to assist him as a stuntman with an amateur film he is making for a BBC film competition.
[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Drama

Email this Post to a Friend

Review - Doubt

February 15th 2009 09:34

I am a sucker for a good play and enjoy seeing well written movies based on plays as they focus more on words and characters than that of special effects and cinematic trickery.

Doubt is based on the play of the same name written by John Patrick Stanley who also wrote the screenplay and directed the film. This is only the second film he has directed in the last 18 years - the last being Joe Versus The Volcano, but he seems to have gotten it right, particularly in light of the numerous festival nominations and wins the movie has received to date.
[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Comments (2)

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Drama

Email this Post to a Friend

Review - The Reader

February 13th 2009 08:32

High expectations surrounded Stephen Daldry's The Reader, particularly in light of the 5 Oscar nominations but I was very much disappointed. Based on Bernhard Schlink's novel of the same name, which I confess I have not read, I felt that the story did not have enough depth to keep me interested. The tagline of the movie is "unlock the mystery" and to me there was no mystery at all and what was occurring was in fact completely obvious. Perhaps they should have marketed the film differently?

Kate Winslet gives an intelligent performance as Hanna Schmitz, who works as a tram conductor in Germany in 1958. She encounters 15-year-old Michael (David Kross) falling ill outside her home and comes to his aid. Once he recovers from his illness, he revisits her bearing a bunch of flowers to thank her for her help. Hanna, living alone and craving companionship, begins an affair with the teenager, which involves not only sex but also constant requests that he read to her. Tales of Huckleberry Finn, War and Peace, Lady Chatterley's Lover and The Odyssey bring them closer together and distances Michael from his friends and family as they are not aware of the secret goings on occurring between the lovers. Despite the affair and a brief bicycle holiday in which Hanna clearly enjoys spending time with Michael, she keeps her distance, asks nothing from him (other than sex and reading) and in return, gives him nothing. One day he visits her apartment to find that she has disappeared.
[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Comments (2)

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Drama

Email this Post to a Friend

Review - Snow Angels

February 9th 2009 11:22

Based on the novel of the same name by Stewart O'Nan, Snow Angels is a very depressing film. Set in a snow-filled sleepy town in Pennsylvania, (NB - this is the third snowy film I have reviewed in a week), the film focuses on a number of interconnected quirky individuals in a very voyeuristic manner.

Arthur (Michael Angarano) is a teenager attending the local high school. He plays trombone in the school band and works part time at the local Chinese restaurant. Arthur befriends Lila Raybern (Olivia Thirlby), a newcomer to town, and it is clear they both have a crush on one another. Arthur and Lila are well suited, but surrounded by broken relationships, Arthur is hesitant to act on his feelings. His parents are on the verge of divorcing and his co-workers at the Chinese restaurant are also facing their own issues.
[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Comments (2)

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Drama

Email this Post to a Friend

Review - Defiance

February 9th 2009 03:58

The story alone deserves to be made into a movie, as it is one of those inspirational tales of courage, strength and humanity. Based on a true story, Defiance focuses on the three Bielski brothers during the German occupation in World War II - namely Tuvia (Daniel Craig), Zus (Liev Schreiber) and Asael (Jamie Bell). Whilst the actors don't particularly look like brothers - this small matter can be overlooked as their actions certainly cement them as brothers in my mind. Liev Schreiber particularly gives an excellent portrayal as Zus with Jamie Bell also shows great promise as an adult actor with his role.

On the run from the Germans in Belorussia, the brothers head to the forest where they grew up in order to stay alive. On their journey to the forest they encounter a number of other Jews in hiding from the Russians who join their camp. Tuvia and Zus, the two older brothers are as different as brothers could be and this is made particularly clear from the outset. Tuvia is interested in staying alive in order to avenge the death of others while Zus is more interested in fighting and killing for their cause.
[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Drama

Email this Post to a Friend

Oscar Season

February 8th 2009 08:29

In the run up to the Oscar ceremony I always try and cram in as many Oscar nominated movies as possible. But over the years I have learnt that watching the movies does not bring you any closer to guessing who is going to win. In fact in the annual Oscar competition in my family, I am yet to actually win even though I am usually the one who knows the most about the films and the actors. Maybe I put more thought into the task although in truth, I think I usually try to nominate who I want to win as opposed to who I think will win, which is often to my detriment. And it seems, each year I never learn!

Noting this year's list, I am still a few movies behind and with only a fortnight to go, looks like I will be kept fairly busy

[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Movie Chatter

Email this Post to a Friend

Review - Transsiberian

February 5th 2009 07:42

Transsiberian initially appealed to me because I had once considered catching the infamous train from Beijing through to Moscow. A nightmarish 30 hour train journey in China put me off wanting to catch trains for quite a long time - but that is another story altogether.

Transsiberian stars a mismatched Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer as an American couple, Roy and Jessie, who are looking to travel to Moscow from China after participating in mission work in Beijing. Roy, a self confessed train spotter is keen to take the train and manages to convince his amateur photographer wife that the journey would be good thing for them to do as a couple. Jessie, a reformed party girl and alcoholic married kind hearted Roy despite their differences. At one point she says "Kill off all my demons, Roy, and my angels might die, too." highlighting the strain that is apparent in their marriage.
[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Comments (4)

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Thriller

Email this Post to a Friend

Review - Peaches

February 2nd 2009 07:48

Peaches is a beautifully shot coming of age tale centring around a teenage girl named Steph (Emma Lung), a so called miracle baby, who survived a car accident in which both her parents were killed. She was taken in and raised by Jude (Jacqueline McKenzie), an overprotective adoptive mum, who was best friends with Steph's mum, Jass (Sam Healy), when she died.

Filmed in South Australia and directed by Craig Monahan (The Interview), it is a story about a group of people growing up in a small town - namely Swan Reach. The beauty of this film is that it could be any small town in Australia and covers issues such as unemployment, alienation and unfulfilled dreams.
[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Comments (6)

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Drama

Email this Post to a Friend

January 2011

2 Posts

December 2010

19 Posts

October 2010

1 Posts