Me Before You - Review

PG-13 | 1h 50min | Drama, Romance
Review - Kimberly Mungle

*In theaters June 3rd*

Synopsis: A girl in a small town forms an unlikely bond with a recently-paralyzed man she's taking care of.

Review: When I read Me Before You it broke my heart in half…it made me angry…it made me sad…and honestly a little depressed when I finished the last page.  I strongly believe that if a book can take you on an emotional journey like that, it’s a great story.  When I heard a film adaptation was in the works, I wasn’t sure how successful it would be.  I mean, we all know, it’s nearly impossible to get all the important elements of a novel squished into 90-120 minutes of screen time.

Me Before You is the story of Louisa Clark (portrayed by Emilia Clarke), a girl who believes she is quite ordinary.  She has ordinary jobs, and an ordinary family, and an ordinary boyfriend.  When she is let go from yet another employer, she reluctantly takes a position as a “carer” for a quadriplegic man.   She is desperate to make the job work so that she can help her family make ends meet at home. 

Will Traynor (portrayed by Sam Claflin) is anything but ordinary.  He has traveled the world over - hiked the highest mountains, skied the lowest valleys, and swam the clearest oceans.  He’s had beautiful girlfriends, loads of friends, and a highly successful career in acquisitions.  And then he is injured in an accident and becomes paralyzed - confined to a wheelchair with very little movement in his arms and legs.  He has no choice but to depend on others for the most basic of care.  And of course, his mother has now hired a quirky overly-positive girl to serve as his companion.

As Louisa and Will’s relationship develops, Louisa attempts to show Will that his life can still be great.  And while Will is convinced his life will never be as good as it was, he attempts to show Louisa that she is the one who still has the potential to have anything but an ordinary life.  Me Before You is a beautiful and unique love story that will reiterate the importance of living the best life you are given.

This film is rated PG-13 for thematic elements and some suggestive material.  If you are curious about the novel/film comparison I would say it follows fairly closely.  Some details (quite a bit of Will’s medical/physical issues) are left out and some story-lines are modified slightly to make the film work.  The overall feeling of story is the same.  I would definitely say if you enjoyed the book or this genre in general, see it!  I took my 16 year old daughter (who had not read the book) and we both enjoyed it immensely although we did go through quite a few tissues.  

Hello, My Name Is Doris [Blu-ray]

• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   R 
   Restricted
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: June 14, 2016
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• 
  
• Synopsis: After a lifetime of being overlooked and ignored, a woman of a certain age finds her world turned upside down by a handsome new co-worker and a self-help seminar that inspires her to take a chance on love in Hello, My Name is Doris, a witty and compassionate late-life coming-of-age-story.
  
  Review- Matt Mungle - Sally Field delivers the first award winning performance of the year in the new Romantic Comedy/Drama, HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS. Watching this film you will be reminded why we all love her so. Here we see an actress with such a wide range of emotional depth and who, at 69 years of age, can still rock the night away. 
  
  Doris Miller (Field) is a quirky office worker who has been spending most of the last few decades caring for her aged mother. When Doris finally gets her freedom much of life has past her by. She sits each day in a cubicle adapting to the ever changing work space around her. But when the hunky new co-worker John (Max Greenfield) stirs up some fiery emotions it is time to cast care to the wind and take a chance on love. 
  
  The film is a decent balance of comedy, drama, and romance. And none of these overshadows the other. Much of this synergy is due to Fields ability to capture the different emotions of Doris' character. She has to be funny and whimsical one minute and dramatically overwhelmed the next. All while never losing the overall dynamic of Doris. The clothes and hair help to solidify this too. She has a look and style that is her own and stands out in a crowd. It is this zaniness that bridges the generation gap between her and her younger cohorts. 
  
  Kudos to Greenfield as well. His character John befriends this lovable older woman who, to him, is just a lot of fun to be around. He has no idea the feelings she has for him.  To hold his own against the subtle acting perfection of Sally Field is not an easy task. He has to feel as comfortable in each scene as she is. If he ever once shows any intimidation or insecurity then the whole story crumbles. 
  
  Much of the humor comes from watching Doris maneuver through the world of social dating. She enlists the help of her best friend's granddaughter to help stalk John on Facebook. There she begins to take notes on his likes and dislikes in order to aid in casual conversation. One element to appreciate about the humor is never does it make fun of Doris. As an audience you laugh a lot with her but never at her. Too often comedies will take a character like this and write jokes at their expense. Focusing on one flaw or a social awkwardness. Here we have a person that anyone would be pleased to know. 
  
  The writing also is grounded in reality. The drama comes from seeing a woman who is struggling with capturing a bit of the past. She is going for something that we all know is just out of reach. Are we rooting for her? Absolutely. But never do we feel like we are witnessing a fantasy. Her struggles are real and many of them we can relate to and understand. Unreturned love and infatuation is hard at any age. It is an emotion that most have battled in the wee hours of the night. So to root for this character is to root for us all. 
  
  Seeing the modern culture and hipster generation through the eyes of a woman of Doris' age is enlightening and such grand comedic fodder. We have conformed to the evolution of speech and mindsets to the point that we fail to see the absurdity in a lot of it. So when we take a step back and look at it from a distance much of it becomes so trivial. In the end the things we think are so groundbreaking, inventive, and revolutionary mean nothing in comparison to life and living. Every generation thinks itself enlightened. That is what makes it so easy to laugh at. 
  
  Hello, My Name Is Doris is rated R for language. It is an adult comedy but never is it sophomoric or crude. It is intelligent writing and comes across as such. If you love Sally Field it is a must see. If you don't admire her going in you will certainly adore her on the other side. I give it 4 out of 5 knitting clubs. A smart and funny film that showcases a beloved actress and a memorable character. 

The Witch [Blu-ray + Digital HD]

• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   R 
   Restricted
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• DVD Release Date: May 17, 2016
• Run Time: 111 minutes
• Synopsis: New England, 1630: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with their five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassible wilderness. When their newborn son mysteriously vanishes and their crops fail, the family begins to turn on one another. The Witch is a chilling portrait of a family unraveling within their own fears and anxieties, leaving them prey to an inescapable evil.
•  

Review: This film has been buzzing around our camp ever since a few people saw it at Fantastic Fest. The bottom line is that this is by far the scariest film to come out in years. I had to actually psyche myself up to watch it. Still as creepy and skin crawling on the little screen as I image it was on the big one. 

The cast nail the performances which is a must to keep you riveted to the story. The slightest miscue can take you completely out of the moment. They seem to be living each line of dialogue and unsettling second. . 

The imagery and cinematography only add to the spine tingling sensations. Certainly not for the novice horror film viewer nor those who like a bit of witty humor mixed in. This is text book genre film making and a must own for the devout collector. 

BLU-RAY/ DVD SPECIAL FEATURES*

·      Audio Commentary with Director Robert Eggers

·      “The Witch: A Primal Folklore” Featurette

·      Salem Panel Q&A

·      Design Gallery

X-Men: Apocalypse - Review

PG-13  |  144 min  |  Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Review - Matt Mungle

*In theaters May 27th*

Synopsis: With the emergence of the world's first mutant, Apocalypse, the X-Men must unite to defeat his extinction level plan.

Review: Did we need another X-MEN movie? If so then we clearly needed an elevated and ground breaking X-MEN movie, not another cookie cutter version of the past two. I hope you have a tall glass of milk handy because X-Men: Apocalypse is a huge second class plate of cookie cut from everything else we have seen in the days of future past. 

I should start off by saying that I am not a super fan of the X-MEN franchise. We have seen several films so far and none of them seem to leave the comfortable nest of the one before it. There seems to be the need to reintroduce all the characters - and there are a lot of them - and show us how they are angst filled mutants trying to come to terms with their abilities. Ok, we get it. We know. Now how about letting them do something for a change. In this one we are introduced to a very solid and formidable foe in Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac). That should be the spring board for a superb action packed experience. But alas most of the 2-Hours and 20-Minutes is again spent regurgitating all the same dialogue and character interaction as the past two films. 

Perhaps we need this one to have the older versions of X-MEN instead of journeying into the earlier years. The studio may feel that this ensemble cast has more box office appeal to teens (a fair argument) but even they seem bored with the script and disconnected from anything happening on screen. Thank the maker for Michael Fassbender who returns as Magneto. His performance is the only thing close to meaningful or engaging. If this had been thought out better it could easily have been a powerful story of his journey. 

Again, the Apocalypse character is creative and powerful. It is hard to find any fault in him or Oscar Isaac's performance. When he is on screen the tension increases and the viewer immediately perks up. Also Quicksilver (Evan Peters) offers us a nice dose of quick wit. But these too get lost in the myriad of other stuff. And in a move that is this long you need more than glimpses of greatness. 

If you want nothing more than to see your favorite characters hanging out then by all means enjoy. They are all here and ready to walk around and talk about things. Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Beast (Nicholas Hoult), The Professor (James McAvoy), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Havok (Lucas Till), Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Angel (Ben Hardy), NIghtcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee); it is like a Wrestle-mania for super heroes. Except no one is willing to risk a leap off the top rope.

The graphics are fine but you will have seen better. I walked out of the movie liking it more than I thought I would but for a film of this magnitude that is not enough. It should blow you away and not lull you to sleep. Bryan Singer is a competent director but there is only so much you can do with the script and story. But since Bryan co-wrote the story he can't be held unaccountable. Nor can screenplay writer Simon Kinberg.

X-Men: Apocalypse is rated PG-13 for sequences of violence, action and destruction, brief strong language and some suggestive images. It is on par with all the other Marvel/SuperHero movies and the content is expected but not shocking. I give it 2.5 out of 5 cheap sunglasses. This franchise totally needs a reboot and to step up to the Marvel name. 

Alice Through the Looking Glass - Review

PG  |  113 min  |  Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Review - Matt Mungle

*In theaters May 27th*

Synopsis: Alice returns to the whimsical world of Wonderland and travels back in time to save the Mad Hatter.

Review: The vibrant colors and exaggerated characters instantly attract you to Alice Through the Looking Glass. Fans of the 2010 Tim Burton directed, Alice in Wonderland will be happy to hear that this one seamlessly transitions into a wonderful new story.  It is almost as if the past six years were just the blink of an eye.

Time has past though and we find Alice (Mia Wasikowska) captaining her own sea vessel and carrying on the family business. Back on land things are a bit more turbulent. She is in danger of being overran by the male dominated board of directors headed up by her ex-fiance Hamish Ascot (Leo Bill). It takes the visit of an old friend and the dire situation of an even dearer friend to pull her through the looking glass and into the world that needs her most. 

This tale is mainly about The Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) but runs parallel with the relationship between Iracebeth The Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) and her sister Mirana The White Queen (Anne Hathaway). This is perfect since these characters are the strongest and most vibrant on screen. The more we get of them the better. The use of time travel and the need to redo the past allows us to get an origin story of why and how things ended up as they did. 

James Bobin replaced Tim Burton as director and that could have been disastrous. Not to slight Bobin but Burton has the ability to capture the whimsical like no other. James might have channeled his inner Tim though because this feels every bit as magical as the first. No doubt having Burton on board as Producer helped immensely. Linda Woolverton returned to write the screenplay which helps add to the continuity of the characters. They are all back in this one including the addition of Time (Sacha Baron Cohen) who fits very well into the landscape.

To see this film in 3-D IMAX is to experience every nuance of color and sound. No other movie uses bright styles and exploding graphics like the Alice franchise. There is so much to take in that the mind can barely grab it all. Danny Elfman's musical score carries you through each scene on a roller coaster of swells. 

Alas it is not a perfect film and does have its share of plot holes and dead end sentences. It is hard to write time travel stories and have everything button up completely. Some can argue that the ends justify the journey as we get a strong dose of what it means to be family.There is a lot here about trust, forgiveness, and the power of words. Those messages are not preachy or heavy handed but organically transpire within each character. 

Alice Through the Looking Glass is rated PG for fantasy action/peril and some language. Another smart move to make this totally family friendly. That will allow another option for parents looking to take their younger tots to something fun and huge without all the super hero carnage. It is safe for those 8 and older with lots to offer the older adults as well. I give it 3.75 out of 5 tick tocks. There is always the fear of the sequel curse but this one proves you can make a follow up film that is just as fabulous as the first.