The Martian

The Martian opened in theatres on October 2, 2015 and is based on the novel by Andy Weir. It is over two hours long so make sure you have some snacks with you. So, after a box of Mike and Ike candy and a bag of Twizzlers, here's what I thought. The storyline starts with a Mars mission which is already in progress. The main character Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon, gets swept away in a sudden sand storm that kicks up after nightfall on the surface of Mars. The very first crisis has two parts; Mark goes missing, and the rest of the crew has to leave immediately to avoid getting stuck there. Everyone thinks Mark is dead, he is stranded on another planet and getting to him looks to be an insurmountable challenge. It is a survival story in space with all of the problems that one might expect on Mars. It was told with a sort of optimism and humor that doesn't always happen in serious storylines like these. The cinematography was brilliant. Obviously, no one has actually been to Mars, but the locations that stood in for it were well appointed. Everyone is probably going to say this after they see it, but I thought Matt Damon and the rest of the cast did a great job. The characters are portrayed with the confidence, spirit, and enthusiasm that I tend to associate with the ideas of astronauts and space travel. So, I obviously liked this one. It is completely worth the time and worthy of the hype that surrounds it.

The Intern

I saw this one today and I thought Robert De Niro was wonderful. The main character Ben (De Niro) is a retired man who is trying to keep busy, so he takes a job as an intern at an online clothing company. He is assigned to work for Jules, the founder of the company played by Anne Hathaway. The characters are dynamic without going overboard. The question that they all face is "What now?" and "How do I handle this." The title of the movie is "The Intern" so it is the sort of movie that I was expecting to see and would definitely recommend it if anyone asked. Simply put, it's really good so you should go and see it.!

A word about Wish I was Here.....

This is one that I waited and waited to see and it wasn't in widely shown the theatres where I live so I eventually caught it on HBO. Simply put... I loved it. I thought it was delightful. Its the story of a family that is dealing with illness and questions of identity and whether or not dreams should be followed. I liked it because it has a ton of heart and humor. When you're not smiling, you're crying in this one.  The movie starts with questions and it ends with the sense that everything is going to be calm and ok. Not perfect or without sadness, but ok.

Double Feature....

This afternoon I decided to see two movies that are just out in theatres, a bit of a double feature if you will. First, I went to a single screen theatre to see A Good Day to Die Hard. Then, I went to the theatre in the next town over to see Beautiful Creatures.  These two have nothing to do with each other, but both are entirely enjoyable.  

The opening scenes of the new Die Hard set up the exposition, which allows the story to move forward.  It also bears mentioning that the running time of this movie is really well done. I got to the theatre, sat down, and an hour had flown by before I knew it.

 This latest Die Hard installment starts with John McClane’s son, Jack, as he ends up in a prison in Moscow. Jack is in the CIA and had been living undercover in Moscow for three years on a long term mission. John gets word of his son’s arrest and imprisonment and decides to go to Russia to try and help. He didn’t know that Jack was an undercover operative.

 There are scenes of two characters being transferred from prison to a court house. One of the characters is Jack and this other Russian guy called Yuri. Obviously, this is an action movie and so it’s not surprising that all of the explosions and shattering windows start shortly thereafter. I really don’t want to ruin the story or the ending for anyone. Suffice it to say, there are ulterior motives and a lot of action sequences that run all the way through.  I have to say I really liked this movie and I would definitely see it again.

Beautiful Creatures was a different sort of movie. It begins when a boy, Ethan, from a small town in South Carolina meets and falls in love with a magical girl, Lena, who moves there at the beginning of the school year. Lena is immediately forged as an outcast in the community. The major conflict in this movie is whether Lena will be claimed by the light or the dark, as happens to the women of her family and other witches or “castors” when they turn sixteen. I really liked the mysterious quality of the beginning, and I liked that there was a mix of folklore and magical elements that is combined with the setting. I also liked that I didn’t know how it was going to end. This movie is anything but predictable and I would also see this one again.

 

For anyone who likes Mumford & Sons; there is this really good documentary on Showtime that follows the band on the road on a series of tour stops in the United States concluding in Colorado.
It is called Mumford & Sons: The Road to Red Rocks. It's just an hour long and is definitely worth checking out. Every now and again I stumble upon a documentary that is simply brilliant and this is one of them.

Silver Linings again......

I posted before about how I really wanted the see the Silver Linings Playbook and that I wished it would get to theatres within driving distance. It finally did just that. I saw it today and the first thing to be said about it was that it really was not what I thought it was going to be. It was good, it just was a lot more emotionally raw than I thought it was going to be. It has to do with lost relationships and the distress and turmoil that happens following that. All the characters involved are trying to find their way through hopelessness. I usually don't watch too many of the films that get nominated for the Academy Awards but this one was different. By the way, if you aren't a fan of the actors in this movie, (Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Chris Tucker, etc,)  you will be by the time the credits roll. It's that good.

I have a not very secret confession to make. I like some of the shows on the CW network. There, I said it. I don't watch every show on that network but there are a select three or four that I do. I'll admit to watching the ill fated Dr. Emily Owens M.D, which is still going to be on until the new episodes run out. Hart of Dixie is also on the CW and is usually on Tuesdays at 7:00pm. The Vampire Diaries (my personal favorite) is nothing like the twilight trilogy, by the way, and is always full of unpredictable events that are part of a story line that is constantly changing. That sounds entirely like a daytime soap I know, but I really haven't seen any other show quite like it. That one is on Thursdays at 7:00pm. The final show Nikita switches gears from the supernatural to spies and espionage, and it stars Shane West, so you can't really go wrong there. Nikita is on Fridays at 7:00pm and is worth recording so you can watch it after the fact.