movie reviews – Page 56 – Unhealed Wound

“Prisoners”: Kidnapping Your Mind

Written by diana on October 27, 2013. Posted in movie reviews. No Comments on “Prisoners”: Kidnapping Your Mind

This provocative film opens with a father and son hunting in the woods, the Lord’s Prayer recited in voiceover. The viewer sees the father, Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) as a deeply religious man, a carpenter who believes in family values and the safety of his community. When his little girl and her friend go missing on Thanksgiving Day, the world he has believed in is destroyed. “Prisoners” is a powerful tale of human nature gone awry. What are parents capable of in their darkest moment, when their worst nightmare happens? Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) is put in...

“Mud”– Channeling “Beasts of the Southern Wild”

Written by diana on September 18, 2013. Posted in movie reviews, Unhealed Wound. No Comments on “Mud”– Channeling “Beasts of the Southern Wild”

With its meandering pace, Mud embodies a Southern culture known for doing things slowly, drifting along the bayou languorously like “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” John Nichols, the director and an Arkansas native, grounds his film in authenticity through superb casting (including local teenagers), location, and a script centered on a believable coming-of-age story. From gravel to mud to the swampy river, this feature film reminded me not only of “Beasts of the Southern Wild” but also of the Mark Twain novels, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. And that is probably why...

“We Need to Talk About Kevin”–The Bad Seed

Written by diana on August 20, 2013. Posted in movie reviews. No Comments on “We Need to Talk About Kevin”–The Bad Seed

“We Need to Talk About Kevin” is an unforgettable portrait of the baby from hell, and as such this film may not be meant for a lot of viewers. Kevin comes into the world as a very difficult, “challenging” infant. The unconditional love between mother–Eva Khatchadourian (played to perfection by Tilda Swinton, a BAFTA nominee for this role) and child (as a teenager by the talented newcomer Ezra Miller) just doesn’t happen. In the delicate and intricate mother-child bonding requiring a mutuality of response–pick up the crying baby, baby stops crying,...

“Side Effects”–Warning: Contraindications

Written by diana on July 31, 2013. Posted in movie reviews. 5 Comments on “Side Effects”–Warning: Contraindications

“Side Effects” opens with Martin Taylor (Channing Tatum) being released from prison after serving a four-year sentence for insider trading. His wife Emily (Rooney Mara) is frail, severely depressed, and disinterested in Martin’s re-entering her life. Soon her world unravels as she becomes dependent upon a new, experimental antidepressant prescribed by Jonathan Banks (Jude Law), on the recommendation of Emily’s previous therapist Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones). The side effects of the antidepressant seem to be the cause for Emily committing a horrific crime...

“Shattered”–aka “Butterfly on a Wheel”

Written by diana on July 23, 2013. Posted in movie reviews. 2 Comments on “Shattered”–aka “Butterfly on a Wheel”

This intriguing tale of vengeance is centered on a theme found in Alexander Pope’s Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot” (1735) in which placing undue effort on a minor issue is like breaking a “butterfly on a wheel”. And this first-rate thriller was so named in its British and Canadian release (2007), to be retitled “Shattered” for an American audience. The story takes place in Chicago, where Neil Randall (played by the surprisingly good Gerald Butler) is an executive of an advertising agency. He is a cunning ad man plotting his path to the top while also a family...

“The Page Turner”–Notes to a Thriller

Written by diana on July 18, 2013. Posted in movie reviews. 2 Comments on “The Page Turner”–Notes to a Thriller

A French cinematic sleeper (2006), “The Page Turner” is a thriller as subtle as a sonata, fine-tuned and intricately composed. The story opens with young gifted pianist Mélanie Prouvost, the ten-year-old daughter of a butcher, methodically practicing for an entrance exam to a prestigious music conservatory. She and her parents have high expectations and she is determined to be one of the students. Beginning the audition in top form, Mélanie is thrown off balance by one of the judges Ariane Fouchecourt who, rather oblivious to her performance, signs an autograph, distracting Mélanie with...