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Here is my newest movie review and a film I think many authors will be able to relate to! Movie Title: The Man Who Invented Christmas
Grade: A-
Rating: PG, 104 minutes
In a Nutshell: I admit
it. I loved this movie, because I'm an author. I have a particular fondness for movies that peel back the curtains
on the life of a successful author and reveal the painful writing process,
including writer’s block, muses, and taking notes of people’s names (I do all
that too.) In this case, Charles Dickens is the author and the book that he struggles to write in less than 6 weeks is the famous, beloved A Christmas Carol: Original illustrations by John Leech. I love that he was inspired
by life around him. Charles Dickens’
father warns, “We must not disturb the poet when the divine frenzy is upon him.” True THAT!
When I’m writing and “in the zone”, it makes me crazy when I get interrupted, so I got a kick out of watching Charles Dickens deal with the constant knocking at his door.
Based on the book, this family friendly film is perfect for
almost all ages and will leave you with the desire to do something kind for
someone this Christmas season. In fact,
after A Christmas Carol: Original illustrations by John Leech was released in 1843, charitable giving immediately surged. I hope this movie gets the same reaction.
Uplifting theme:
“No
one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another.” –
“Christmas…the
hope that our better natures will prevail.” - John
Are you
fettered by chains that you have made in life? Jacob asked, “Do you know the link of
the chain you bear yourself?”
Poor vs. rich
Things I liked:
Dan
Stevens and those blue eyes! If you
wanted to see more of him since you first discovered him in Beauty and the Beast (2017) (Theatrical Version), you’ll love watching him star in this movie as Charles Dickens.
Christopher
Plummer was perfect as Ebenezer Scrooge.
The
set pieces, furniture, and costume designs are really great. I loved the details like the oil lamps
for street lights. Speaking of
sets, some of the pieces from the TV series Penny Dreadful: Season One were used to
make this film. Despite the fact
that you really feel like you’re in 19th Century London, most
of the filming was done in Ireland.
Some well-placed
humor.
The
audience laughed when Charles Dickens’ publisher said, “There’s not much
of a market for Christmas.”
We don’t
often see PG live action movies, so this was refreshing to see playing in
theaters.
I love
how the characters in Charles’ books come to life for him and through him
and are a part of the cast in the film.
In fact, Charles explains, “Get the name right and the character
will appear.” I write non-fiction
and have always been fascinated with how the writing process works for
fiction authors who create characters and worlds.
There
are several references to Shakespeare and, in fact, most of the cast in
the film are trained Shakespearean actors.
In real life, Charles Dickens adored “The Bard” and acted in some
of his plays. Many of them had also
previously worked on other adaptations of A Christmas Carol.
Things I didn’t like:
It’s a
little slow moving.
Neither
the title of the movie nor the original book are properly explained during the
movie.
Some
of the flashbacks were shown at odd times and might be a bit confusing for
children.
While
a biopic of sorts, some of the story is fiction. We honestly don’t know as much about
Charles Dickens’ writing process as we would like to!
Interesting quotes:
“Debt
is an ogre. If you’re not careful,
it can eat you up.” – Charles Dickens
“People
will believe anything if you’re finely dressed.” – John Dickens (Jonathan
Pryce)
Funny lines:
“I’m
the author here!” – Charles Dickens
“Allegedly.” - Scrooge
Tips for
parents:
If your kids have never heard or read Charles Dickens’
A Christmas Carol, then you’ll want them to become familiar with it
first.
Kids will be surprised to learn that Christmas wasn’t
always so commercial as it is now.
Kids also won’t know about “debtors’ prison” in England, where people were sent when they couldn't pay their bills. That always seemed strange to me, because there would be no possibly way for them to earn the money they owed while in prison!
Work
houses in England are also mentioned several times. Poor and destitute people were encouraged to go to work houses to live and earn money. The conditions and stigma were so terrible that people would rather die than go there.
I heard profanity twice. One of those times was the
British swear word “bloody.”
Some
words your kids may not know are “nappies” (British word for “diaper”) and
“necromancer” (conjurer).
As an author, I'd love to write a book that becomes a classic and endures through the years. Agatha Christie's murder mysteries are timeless. She was alive during the 1974 filming of Murder on the Orient Express. I wonder how she would have liked this new version. Here's my movie review! Movie Title: Murder on the Orient Express: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) Grade: B
Rating: PG-13, 1
hour 54 minutes
In a Nutshell: With an incredible A-list cast, this is a well-made, stylish “Who-dunnit” mystery directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also stars as the Belgium inspector
Hercule Poirot. It’s extremely picturesque and beautiful, yet slowly fizzles with a disappointing reveal of who the murderer is.
Uplifting theme:
“We
seek the truth from within, not without.” – Hercule Poirot (Kenneth
Branagh)
“Sometimes
the law of man is not enough.” – Pilar Estravados (Penelope Cruz)
“poison
of deep grief”, healing, peace
Revenge
Right vs. wrong and everything in between
Truth
Things I liked:
The
period pieces and costumes of the 1930’s are beautiful.
You
don’t often see movies that take their time telling the story. Both the time period and the style of
movie-making seemed old-fashioned. It was shot in 65 mm and really immerses you in the various environments. The sets are incredible.
The
all-star cast includes the talented Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench,
Penelope Cruz, Michelle Pfeiffer, Leslie Odom Jr., Daisy Ridley and Derek
Jacobi. Kenneth Branagh was absolutely outstanding. You might wonder how old
Judi Dench is…She was born in 1934, making her 82 years old.
There
was some humor, although the tone was a bit inconsistent, beginning with a
very light feel and then remaining mostly dark for the rest of the film.
There
were some really great camera sequences.
One scene was shot from above the characters as they talked. Another scene was shot from outside the
train as it scanned the people walking down the hall through the windows. You really feel the movement of the train and feel like you're on one.
The
movie begins at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem with some gorgeous vistas
and a funny sequence. One of these days, I'm going there.
There
are some beautiful vistas in Istanbul.
One of these days, I’m going there too.
Michelle Pfeiffer sings "Never Forget", which was co-written by director/actor Kenneth Branagh. Wow, he was really busy with this film.
The photo of Katherine, Hercule Poirot's lost love, is actually Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh's real ex-wife.
Things I didn’t like:
Some
say it grinds to a halt, rather than get more intense. Yeah, it's true. The ending is anti-climatic.
In the
1974 version of Murder on the Orient Express, the star-studded ensemble had equal moments of importance;
whereas this version doesn't have much character arc and kind of fizzles. A lot of movie critics are comparing it to the movie Clue which was able to develop characters much better.
Daisy Ridley’s
character is way too young for her character, who should be much older.
Sergei
Polunin is a famous ballet dancer in real life, but we don’t get to see
him dance at all! Instead, we get
to see him beat up some people.
All of
the actors were great, but felt underutilized. So much talent wasted.
I
heard a lady sitting near me say, “That mustache has to go!” Hercule
Poirot’s double-decker mustache is ridiculous, but his mustache mask is even worse. Ha ha When the 1974 movie of Murder on the Orient Express Agatha Christie was still alive and she commented on how much she didn't like Albert Finney's mustache on his Hercule Poirot's character.
Interesting lines:
“Romance
never goes unpunished.” – Hercule Poirot
“To a
man with a hammer, everything is a nail.” – Mary Debenham (Daisy Ridley’s
character is actually quoting Mark Twain.)
“There
is right. There is wrong. There is nothing in between.” – Hercule Poirot (He learns about grey areas.)
“Vice
is where the devil finds his darlings.” – Pilar Estravados (Penelope Cruz)
Funny lines:
“Did
we die?” – Hercule Poirot
Tips for
parents:
Young
children may get bored, as it’s a “talking” movie that unfolds slowly.
There
are some subtitles when two people speak German.
As an author, I always enjoy movies about other writers. I would love to have my writing affect a reader so powerfully as Edward's did on Susan. This is the book the film
In a Nutshell: This disturbing,
stylish drama is very cleverly written and unfolds perfectly.
Tom Ford wrote the screenplay and
directed this movie. He is a great
storyteller and does an excellent job layering three stories over and under
each other. Did you know he got his start as a fashion designer?
Uplifting theme:
“Do
you ever feel like your life has turned into something you never intended?”
– Susan Morrow (Amy Adams)
Regret,
emotional scars.
Believing
in someone.
Things I liked:
I love
Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaall in anything. They’re both super talented and deliver
fantastic emotional performances.
You
begin to understand the symbolism at the same time Susan does.
Michael Shannon does a great job as a crusty old cop who is dying physically and
emotionally.
Aaron
Taylor-Johnson and Karl Glusman make you so angry as the sleazy scumbag
criminals you want to see get what they deserve.
I thought
the movie poster was really clever.
This film will stay with you. The more you think about it, the more you'll notice the connecting cues throughout the movie.
Things I didn’t like:
It
annoyed me when Susan described her conservative, religious parents as
racist, as if all of those things are naturally connected.
Some
very talented actors had very small parts (Laura Linney, Michael Sheen, Armie
Hammer, Jena Malone) and I would have loved to see more of them.
It’s
emotionally very dark.
Interesting lines:
“Enjoy
the absurdity of our world. It’s a
lot less painful.” – Carlos (Michael Sheen who has another movie out in
theaters right now: Passengers)
Susan
asks, “Why are you so driven to write?”
Edward answers, “I guess it’s a way of keeping things alive. I’m saying things that will eventually
die. If I write it down, then it’ll
last forever.”
“My
husband used to call me a nocturnal animal.” – Susan
‘I’m
not scared. I’m unhappy.” – Susan
“They
say we all become our mother.” – Anne Sutton
Funny lines:
“Do
you not trust your nanny?” – Susan
“No, I do. I just hate her.” – (Jena Malone)
Tips for
parents:
This
is not a family-friendly movie that children should watch. It is a very dark Rated R film with mature
themes.
Vulgar
profanity.
Discussion
and portrayal of a brutal rape attack.
You
see a guy sitting on a toilet naked.
Abortion,
marriage infidelity, illegal activities.
This blog is reserved for my random ideas about writing. As an author, I'm fascinated with communication, so I simply had to share this movie review I just posted on my movie blog! Movie Title: Arrival
Grade: A
Rating: PG-13,
116 minutes
In a Nutshell: Earning 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes,
this intelligent sci-fi thriller features an outstanding performance from Amy
Adams that already has garnered Oscar buzz. This fascinating film will tickle your brain and warm
your heart.
I didn’t want to post my review right after I saw it,
because I wanted it to percolate in my head and process it for a while
first. The more I thought about it, the
more I loved it. It’s hard to write a review without giving too much away, so I apologize for the spoiler alerts below. It’s better to see the movie “blind”, so to
speak, so that you get to experience the unfolding of the story. "Arriving" at the end of the movie and understanding it is a satisfying journey when you have to work it out in your own mind.
You know a movie has done its job when the audience claps
and then slowly walks out of the theater, as they try to contemplate what they
have just experienced. That’s what
happened when I sat in a packed theater Friday night. I can’t wait for you to see it and read your
comments!
Uplifting theme:
“Language
is complicated and messy and sometimes it can be both.” – Dr. Louise Banks
This
is less about aliens and science fiction, but instead, more about humanity and working together.
“If
you could see your whole life start to finish, would you change things?” –
Dr. Louise Banks I loved the
movieCity of Angels and how, despite life being hard and even
heart-breaking at times, it’s still worth living….every minute.
Things I liked:
Director
Denis Villeneuve usually makes violent, profanity-laced Rated R movies like Sicario and Prisoners,
so I was happy to see him offer something else more family-friendly and
cerebral.
The
cinematography is fantastic. One of
the best takes is when we first see the alien spacecraft in a field in
Montana with fog drifting over the ridge. Gorgeous. The camera rolls in almost a 360 degree span that is absolutely
stunning.
It
reminded me a little bit of the movie Signs , which I loved, because of the lingering
uneasiness that lasts throughout the entire movie. The tension is handled very well. It also reminded me of Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
and Contact, because of the lessons we learn about humanity and our
connection to the universe.
I
loved the no-gravity chamber inside the spaceship, especially when the
people inside could look far down below at the people walking around. Super cool.
I’m
such a nerd that when Dr. Banks’ lecture on the Portuguese language was
interrupted, I was disappointed that I didn’t get to hear it. Ha ha
We’ve
never seen aliens like this before.
We’ve never seen a spaceship like this before. We’ve never seen a written language like
this before. Three cheers for
creative writers!
I was mesmerized with how the spaceships left the atmosphere….soooo cool.
Did
you catch Louise’s earrings at the fancy event when she was talking to
General Shang of China (played by Tzi Ma)?
If you look closely, you’ll also see that same image repeated on her daughter’s
notebook. Pay attention to other places you see a bird in a cage too.
There
is a little bit of humor, which audiences always appreciate.
SPOILER ALERT. As a university professor who teaches English, I LOVE that the film revolved around language and trying to communicate with the aliens, yet was really about how we humans communicate with each other. Amy Adams’ character (also a college professor) wrote, “Language is the cornerstone of civilization.” The gift that the aliens brought was perfect. An intriguing idea in the movie is that language shapes the way we think more than the way we think shapes our language.
HUGE
SPOILER ALERT!!!! I LOVED the way
that time was used in the movie.
Because we’re human, we view time as linear. That simple fact makes us believe that
what we’re seeing at the beginning of the movie is the beginning of the
story. The movie folds over on
itself, just as the language of the aliens does. Once Louise realizes that, we also
realize what is happening in the story.
Very cool.
Things I didn’t like:
Some
viewers have complained about the slow pace, but I didn’t mind, because it
gave my brain a chance to consider all of the different story angles and
messages.
Each encounter
with the aliens cut off too soon. I
wanted them to last longer.
Jeremy
Renner delivers a good performance.
Unfortunately, his character doesn’t contribute much and he admits
that they wouldn’t be anywhere without Louise. He figures out one thing without her and
he makes a really strange decision in the end that I didn’t like.
What
was the deal with Forest Whitaker’s weird accent?
There
is a lot of quiet mumbling, making it often difficult to understand what
people are saying.
Sometimes
things were out of focus, which was annoying. I recognize that was an artistic choice,
forcing us to focus on a specific thing, but sometimes it just annoyed me; I wanted to see everything!
Interesting lines:
“If
all I ever gave you was a hammer…” – Louise
“Every answer is a nail.” – Colonel
Weber (Forest Whitaker)
“Memory is a strange thing. It doesn’t work like I used to
think. We are bound by time, by its
order…” – Louise
“There
are days that define your story beyond your life.” - Louise
Funny lines:
“You
made quick work of those insurgent videos.” – Colonel Weber
“You made quick work of those
insurgents.” – Louise
“When
was the last time you did something stressful?” – Army doctor
“Does this count? Just saying…” – Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner)
“Yeah. That just happened.” – Ian Donnelly
“Trust
me. You can understand communication
and still end up single.” - Louise
Tips for
parents:
Kids
will think the aliens are cool, not too scary.
Yay
for science and math!
There
are some subtitles your kids will need to read or have read to them.
The
one and only person who dropped an F-bomb happened to be an Avenger…Jeremy
Renner.
The movie is based on a short story by Ted Chiang entitled
.
, you’ll love watching him star in this movie as Charles Dickens.
were used to
make this film. Despite the fact
that you really feel like you’re in 19th Century London, most
of the filming was done in Ireland.
addresses the spirit of Christmas more than particular
Christian beliefs, Charles Dickens’ book The Life of Our Lord: Written for His Children During the Years 1846 to 1849
where he bears testimony of the Savior of the world and shares his Christian beliefs.
. Speaking of the author, Agatha Christie's Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express
was her best-selling novel.
, the star-studded ensemble had equal moments of importance;
whereas this version doesn't have much character arc and kind of fizzles. A lot of movie critics are comparing it to the movie Clue
which was able to develop characters much better.
Agatha Christie was still alive and she commented on how much she didn't like Albert Finney's mustache on his Hercule Poirot's character.
)
and how, despite life being hard and even
heart-breaking at times, it’s still worth living….every minute.
and Prisoners
,
so I was happy to see him offer something else more family-friendly and
cerebral. 
, which I loved, because of the lingering
uneasiness that lasts throughout the entire movie. The tension is handled very well. It also reminded me of Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
and Contact
, because of the lessons we learn about humanity and our
connection to the universe.
