Nell Minow's Blog, page 66
August 13, 2016
Little Men
Writer/director Ira Sachs makes small, exquisitely observed, films that are cinematic chamber music. He does not follow the reliable movie formulas about how many minutes into the running time you introduce characters, the challenges those characters face, the small conflict, the big conflict, and the resolution. He does not exaggerate to let us know whose side we are on or even what we are hoping for. He just allows us for a little while to be a part of the lives of basically good-hearted...
The post Little Men appeared first on Movie Mom.
August 12, 2016
More Robert Redford
Robert Redford gives a marvelous performance in "Pete's Dragon," in theaters today. It's a good reminder to look back at some of his outstanding films, as actor, director, and producer, over the last five decades.
Redford repeated his Broadway role in the delightful romantic comedy Barefoot in the Park.
In Three Days of the Condor he was a researcher caught up in a story of spies and betrayal.
He was a...
Redford repeated his Broadway role in the delightful romantic comedy Barefoot in the Park.
In Three Days of the Condor he was a researcher caught up in a story of spies and betrayal.
He was a...
The post More Robert Redford appeared first on Movie Mom.
August 11, 2016
Hell or High Water
"Hell or High Water" is a modern western that reminds us why spare, dry landscapes have so often been the settings for grand American epics. Like frontier stories of ranchers, farmers, cowboys, Indians, masculinity, and bank robbers, this film has a gripping story that touches on the most profound American struggles -- from guns to real estate, race, and income inequality -- specific in detail but universal in scope.
One of the film's wisest choices is in keeping important information from...
One of the film's wisest choices is in keeping important information from...
The post Hell or High Water appeared first on Movie Mom.
Equity
"Equity" is a razor sharp financial thriller about people who are themselves razor sharp. Their battlefields are boardrooms and trading floors but the stakes are high and the rules are just a starting point. There has been some understandable buzz about the background of the film, the first major national release to be entirely made by and about women. But this is in no way a stunt. It is a way to explore the way that the movie's characters experience the ultra-testosteronic world of Wall...
The post Equity appeared first on Movie Mom.
Florence Foster Jenkins
The charm of the popular "Lip Synch Battle" series is the way that the contestants, all very talented and successful performers, transcend the limits of race and gender -- and other limits, too, like vocal range. In her way, real-life heiress Florence Foster Jenkins was doing the same thing a century ago. Her dedication to music was monumental. So was her lack of talent. But she lived a blissful life with a devoted husband, staging elaborate tableaux and concerts. Like the emperor with the...
The post Florence Foster Jenkins appeared first on Movie Mom.
Pete’s Dragon
For a remake of the Helen Reddy musical with live-action boy befriended by a cartoon dragon, Disney has wisely jettisoned the songs, the plot and the cartoon and produced an entirely new story that is genuinely enchanting.
This seems to be a year for stories about children who make friends with giant, magical creatures. We've already had "The BFG" and have "A Monster Calls" coming up. And this reworking also owes quite a debt to another live-action 3D Disney remake of just a few months...
This seems to be a year for stories about children who make friends with giant, magical creatures. We've already had "The BFG" and have "A Monster Calls" coming up. And this reworking also owes quite a debt to another live-action 3D Disney remake of just a few months...
The post Pete’s Dragon appeared first on Movie Mom.
Trailer: Milton’s Secret
In this film based on the book co-authored by Eckhart Tolle, Milton (William Ainscough) is a 12 year-old boy growing up in an economically and socially unpredictable world. His mother and father (Mia Kirshner, David Sutcliffe) are workaholics with marital and financial problems, and he is bullied at school. When his grandfather (Donald Sutherland) visits, Milton learns that rehashing the past and worrying about the future are preventing him from finding...
The post Trailer: Milton’s Secret appeared first on Movie Mom.
Smile of the Week: “Twinkies and Donuts”
Parents are never prepared to answer the "Where do babies come from?" question. When writer/director Evan Blank was asked to write a comically awkward scene, he remembered his own conversation with his father. Twinkies and Donuts is his cute, comedically awkward, short film shows how one dad (Elon Gold) handled it. (Mature humor)
...
...
The post Smile of the Week: “Twinkies and Donuts” appeared first on Movie Mom.
August 10, 2016
The Man Who Saved Ben-Hur: Exclusive Clip
I'm delighted to be able to present an exclusive clip from the behind-the-scenes Hollywood documentary "The Man Who Saved Ben-Hur," now available streaming and DVD.
...
...
The post The Man Who Saved Ben-Hur: Exclusive Clip appeared first on Movie Mom.
August 9, 2016
More Movie Dragons
In honor of this week's release of Disney's remake of the 1977 film, "Pete's Dragon," here are some other classic movie dragons.
1. How to Train Your Dragon
This was the first of the...
1. How to Train Your Dragon
This was the first of the...The post More Movie Dragons appeared first on Movie Mom.
