movies

DeNiro’s ‘Intern’ Is Funny, Just Not Funny Enough

Posted on October 29, 2015 by CharlieClaywell

In The Intern, Ben Whittaker (Robert DeNiro) is a 70-year-old widower who answers a help-wanted ad to be a senior-aged intern in a start-up eCommerce company. The story is the classic ‘put the main character in unfamiliar surroundings’ tale as Whittaker is assigned to the company founder, Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway).

When Whittaker arrives, the company, started less than two years ago in Ostin’s kitchen, is experiencing growing pains and Ostin is overwhelmed.

She is also being pressured to bring in a CEO so Ostin can “focus on the creative side” of the business. Ostin, of course, bristles at this suggestion and struggles to find a way to do it all — like find time for her husband and young daughter — while growing the company. As the story progresses, Ostin is dealt a devastating blow when she learns her husband — who gave up his career to raise their daughter when her company took off — is cheating on her.

The movie’s comedy is driven forward by Whittaker’s presence. There is the expected resistance from Ostin when she learns Whittaker is her intern. At first she tries to get Whittaker reassigned then Ostin fires him (and then hires him back). Whittaker hangs on through the ups and downs and eventually becomes a mentor to Ostin and several of his co-workers.

One of the funnier scenes in the movie involves Ostin erroneously sending an email to her mother — an email that criticizing her mom. When the IT team can’t retrieve the email — it is Whittaker who comes up with a solution: break into the mother’s house and delete the email. Whittaker, with his three 20-something bumbling sidekicks manages to pull it off, but their plan nearly unravels when the getaway driver (played by Adam DeVine — Pitch Perfect) is dancing to the music on the car’s radio instead of watching for his co-conspirators.

Although the performances by all the key players are above par, the comedy is just too sparse for a 90-minute movie.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars. It is what my family calls a ‘video movie’ which means it’s worth watching, just not at theater prices. (We should update our phrase to ‘DVD movie’).

Categories: movies

‘Inside Out’ Packs Powerful Punch

Posted on July 21, 2015 by CharlieClaywell

My wife, daughter and my schedules all aligned nicely the other day so we decided to take in Pixar’s latest movie — Inside Out. The film is about the voices inside the head of an 11-year-old girl who has the perfect life until her family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco.

The girl, Riley, is really the subplot of the movie as the plot revolves around five key voices inside her head: Joy, Disgust, Fear, Sadness and Anger. Joy, played by Amy Poehler, takes center stage running the show from inside Riley’s head determined to prevent Sadness (played by Phyllis Smith, The Office) from taking over and turning the happy Riley into a sad, crying 11-year-old who misses her friends and home back in Minnesota.

Of course, in the end it will be Sadness that saves the day.

But along the way, viewers are treated to a cleverly written, funny and sometimes sad adventure. Adults and children will enjoy the animation, story line and well-placed one-liners. It is a story that reminds everyone of how vulnerable children are as they mature and endure the various types of struggles which are a part of growing up.

But it’s also downright funny.

The real adventure begins when Joy gets trapped outside of headquarters with Sadness. This means running Riley’s brain is regulated to Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Anger (played perfectly by comedian Lewis Black) which turns Riley into the mess we expect her to be. Joy, though, tries to fight back from deeper regions of the brain and works desperately to regain entry into the headquarters. She tries everything from hijacking Riley’s dreams to stealing a ride on the Train of Thought.

It is the thought put into the writing that makes the movie such a hit and a short review can by no means do justice to all the clever scenes.

For example, while on the Train of Thought, two boxes of cargo (which look like puzzle pieces) are accidently opened and spilled — causing Joy to worry — how will we ever be able to tell the pieces apart. Riley’s imaginary friend Bing Bong (Richard Kind), also riding the train, tells Joy not to worry — it ‘happens all the time.’ So they grab the blended pile of pieces and throw them into the two boxes — one labeled Fact, the other labeled Fiction.

The film is rated PG.

Rated 5 out of 5. This is definitely one of Pixar’s best films. I would rank it along side of Toy Story. The movie is funny, sad, thoughtful, engaging and entertaining — everything you want in a 90-minute show.

Categories: movies | Tags: Inside Out, Pixar

Two Classic Movies That Capture American Grit

Posted on July 2, 2015 by CharlieClaywell

I have always enjoyed watching films featuring Morgan Freeman or Denzel Washington. Both of these actors seem to pick high-quality scripts as is the case with these two movies: Lean on Me (1989) and John Q (2002). The movies shine a light on two strong male characters who rise to the occasion and refuse to surrender to the hardship they face.

Lean on Me

Based on a true story, Morgan Freeman plays the role of Joe Clark, a radical principal brought into the Eastside High School to help out an old friend (and superintendent) of the district. Clark is their last hope for the school to pass the student achievement test and prevent that state from taking over the school. As the story unfolds, the school is, in fact, cleaned up, but the movie is more a story of Clark’s abrasive personality with the staff coupled with a genuine love and concern for the students. One of the most powerful scenes in the movies is when a freshman student, permanently expelled for smoking crack cocaine, begs Clark to let him back in school. Clark does, but not before forcefully explaining the terms of their agreement.

John Q

Written and directed long before the current discussion on the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), this fictional story examines the very real flaws in the American health system. Denzel Washington plays a down-on-his luck father whose hours at work — and health benefits — have been significantly reduced due to a recession. The story opens with Washington’s vehicle being repossessed which is the least of his problems. While playing in a Little League game his young son collapses near second base — and the family eventually learns the child needs a new heart. The problem is — the insurance won’t cover it so Washington must fund the astronomical costs himself. The story escalates when the desperate father takes matters into his own hands and ensures the health and well-being of his son.