This
movie is the incredible true story of Louis Zamperini, a former Olympic athlete
who experienced more trauma and hardship than anyone should ever have to
endure. After surviving a plane crash
during World War II, he and two other survivors spend 47 days on a raft in the
ocean before being captured by the Japanese and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp
until the war is over. Any of these
experiences are enough to break a person, but “Louie” is remarkably resilient
and is able to survive the ordeal. I
almost found it hard to even watch the scenes in the POW camp – the
humiliation, the beatings and just seeing their spirit fade away the more they
were subjected to over time. I also
wasn’t expecting to be so moved by the story of what has happened since the war
ended and how he was able to eventually make peace with everything and even
meet with the very people who held him captive.
As the movie said before the credits rolled, “Louie came to see that the
way forward was not revenge, but forgiveness.”
And that is exactly what I was feeling after watching this very powerful
movie.
The Theory of Everything
Posted by
Christy
Eddie
Redmayne who plays Stephen Hawking won best lead actor for his portrayal of Mr.
Hawking and after seeing this movie – there is no doubt that he deserved to win! The film is based on the true story between
Stephen and Jane Hawking. It starts off
in Cambridge in 1963, where they both meet and fall in love with each
other. Shortly after that, Stephen is diagnosed
with Lou Gehrig’s disease and told he has 2 years to live. The story revolves around their lives and
what it was like to be one of the smartest minds and trapped in a failing body
but yet have your mind be so clear. It’s
about their love and their fight to keep their marriage together through the
hardest times in both of their lives. He
broke all the rules by surviving this disease, and by doing so, gave great
insight to the scientific world. I
admire Eddie Redmayne’s portrayal of Mr. Hawking. He gave a very personal, heartfelt, and saddening
look into the life of an ALS patient and their family. For not knowing much about Mr. Hawking, I
enjoyed the film immensely.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Posted by
Eric
I wasn’t sure if I was even going to watch this movie, but had quite a few people
tell me how good it was, so gave it a shot.
I’m glad I did, because I really enjoyed it! I’d say it was a sci-fi film that didn’t take
itself too seriously, but wasn’t “silly” either. Chris Pratt plays Peter Quill, an unlikely
“hero” that was taken from Earth when he was young, and has grown up in space
in other worlds. When he gains access to
an orb that is worth millions and that everyone seems to be trying to get, his
latest adventure begins. Through trying
to fight off anyone that wants the orb, he meets and teams up with four other
characters that are all kind of misfits like himself, forming a great team with
each person bringing their own unique qualities to their group. It was funny, had a nice story, and great
characters each with their own back story that made it all a very fun movie!
Nightcrawler
Posted by
Eric
This
was quite a movie! Jake Gyllenhaal plays
an unemployed person who stops at an accident scene and sees a man filming
footage to sell to TV stations for their news broadcasts. This trips something in his mind that he
could do this, too – and possibly make some money in the process. And he does.
The more experience he gets and the better quality his recordings are,
the more it all works out for him with contacts and demanding more money for
his work. When it all came together for
me was when he started manipulating scenes to make a better “story” or picture and
started arriving to crime scenes before the police were even there. Where is the line on what you can/should
legally film, especially when doors are already open or a crime is in the
process of happening? This movie was
kind of fun, but got very creepy the longer it went on and the more risks he
was willing to take. I’m still thinking
a lot about all the different angles you can look at this story. Toward the end, he was definitely crossing
the line, but it’s also the world we live in…
Foxcatcher
Posted by
Eric
This
movie is based on a true story. Steve
Carell plays multimillionaire John du Pont and he sponsors two wrestling
brothers, played by Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo, as they train for the 1988
Olympics. I found it
interesting watching the movie because all of the main characters played parts
that are very different from roles I’ve seen them have in other films. When du Pont calls and wants the brothers to
move to Pennsylvania to train with him, it’s hard to know exactly what his
motives are, but they do eventually move into his estate where they can all
work out together. du Pont seems to be trying to
live out some unfulfilled dreams through these “students” of his, even though
he doesn’t really know very much about the finer points of wrestling and starts
to take credit for their success whenever he can. Eventually, jealousy comes out in many
different forms and from different characters, showing how messed up everyone
can be, no matter how much money or fame they might have. It’s sad seeing everything end the way it
does, especially knowing it’s a true story…
Whiplash
Posted by
Eric
I think of this movie and my heart starts racing – it was that intense! J.K. Simmons was amazing as an over-the-top instructor
at a music school who will stop at nothing to bring out the full potential of any
student in which he can see “greatness.”
His methods were VERY extreme, but I can see where he was coming from
and what he was trying to accomplish with the students. The story revolves around the teacher,
Fletcher, and a young drummer named Andrew that wants to be one of the best
ever, and becomes one of the chosen few to be allowed into an elite band conducted
by Fletcher. It becomes a battle of
wills and you’re never quite sure where either one stands with the other, which
I really enjoyed! Maybe it’s because I
related to the parts of being in a band so much, but I lost myself completely
in the story and it made me want to strive for more in my own life and see what
I’m capable of, too!
Horrible Bosses 2
Posted by
Eric
This
was one of those movies that didn’t really need a sequel. At all.
Nick, Kurt, and Dale are back and have decided to go into business for
themselves and be their own bosses. But,
of course their plan doesn’t go well, and they end up getting caught up in a
kidnapping scheme they’ve come up with to get money back from an unscrupulous
investor. In some ways, this movie was a
lot like the first one, but even more silly, stupid, and moronic in carrying
out their plans. It did have funny lines
and humorous parts, but was also more rude and crude with a LOT of language,
too. I didn’t “hate” it, but wasn’t very
impressed, either.
Birdman
Posted by
Eric
I’m
not sure exactly what to think of this movie.
I know it won the Oscar for Best Picture, but I thought it was just alright. I’m still not entirely sure about some parts
of the film, either, which I think was kind of the point. Michael Keaton plays an actor who once played
the superhero character Birdman, but has moved on, or is at least trying to by directing and starring in a play on Broadway. He
seems to be trying to work out issues with his family, his past stardom and trying
to separate himself from the Birdman character, wanting to be taken seriously
for his acting, and just really trying to get his life together and figure out
what his future holds. I didn’t care
much for the movie right after watching it, but it’s been a week or so, and I
do appreciate the film more than I did right away. It definitely had its “moments” and the acting
was impressive, along with the filming and camera angles. Overall, the movie felt like something the
critics might like more than the everyday person, but if you’re in the mood for
something a little different, you might want to give it a chance.
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