movie advent calendar Archives - Page 2 of 3

December 14, 2022

Movie Advent Calendar #14 – Hidden Figures

“Every time we get a chance to get ahead they move the finish line. Every time.”

In 2012 I did a cinematic advent calendar of twenty four films. These were films that I really liked and have enjoyed at the cinema. This year on a similar theme I will be posting a movie advent calendar of twenty four movies

I got Hidden Figures as part of the Mega Movie Week deal on iTunes (was also on Amazon) in January 2019.

I bought quite a few films that week making the most of the offer. As a result the film was added to the “we must watch this” list. In the end we didn’t actually sit down to watch it until March. I remember there being a little bit of scepticism in the family about watching the film, however we sat down and put it on.

Soon though we were totally captivated by the story and the performances. We thought this was a fantastic film, really powerful. We were so glad to have watched it.

Hidden Figures is an incredible & inspiring untold true story about three women at NASA who were instrumental in one of history’s greatest operations, that of the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. A 2016 American biographical drama film directed by Theodore Melfi and written by Melfi and Allison Schroeder. The film stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe as a team of African-American female mathematicians who worked at NASA during the Space Race.

The film tells the story of Johnson and her colleagues at NASA, who faced discrimination and prejudice as African American women working in a predominantly white and male field. Despite these challenges, they persevered and made significant contributions to the space program, ultimately helping to send astronaut John Glenn into orbit.

HF-216 – Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) makes one of many key contributions to the effort to send John Glenn into orbit. Photo Credit: Hopper Stone.

The film is based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly, and tells the true story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, three African-American women who made significant contributions to the early space program at NASA.

The production really captures the look and feel of the 1960s American space programme and America at that time.

Hidden Figures is a powerful and inspiring story that highlights the achievements of these incredible women. One of the standout aspects of Hidden Figures is the powerful performances from the lead actresses. Henson, Spencer, and Monáe are all fantastic in their roles, and their chemistry on screen is electric. The film is also beautifully shot, with stunning period-accurate production design and costumes. The supporting cast is also impressive, with Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, and Jim Parsons all delivering solid performances.

Another highlight of the film is its message of perseverance and determination in the face of adversity. The characters in the film face many challenges due to their race and gender, but they never give up and continue to fight for their dreams. This is an inspiring message that will resonate with audiences of all ages.

Overall, Hidden Figures is a powerful and inspiring film that tells an important story of three trailblazing women who made significant contributions to the early space program at NASA. The film was released to widespread critical acclaim, with many praising the performances of the lead actors and the important historical story it tells. The film is beautifully shot and well-written.

If you like biographical dramas or have an interest in the space race in the 1960s, then this is a film for you.

Get Hidden Figures at Amazon.

December 13, 2022

 Movie Advent Calendar #13 – Catch Me If You Can

“I’ll tell you what I am sure of. You’re going to get caught. One way or another. It’s a mathematical fact. It– It’s like Vegas, the House always wins.”

I have really enjoyed virtually everything Tom Hanks has done, I have seen most of his films and there are a fair few in this movie advent calendar and there was a few in the cinematic advent calendar I did in 2012. There are a few films of his I haven’t see, so not too obsessive! For example, I’ve not seen him in Castaway. It’s probably not too surprising to find though I did quite enjoy Catch Me If You Can.

I didn’t see Catch Me If You Can at the cinema, it was something I eventually saw, well actually I can’t remember. I don’t have it on DVD, so maybe this was a film I saw on the television and then watched again another time on a streaming service.

Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 biographical crime drama film directed by Stephen Spielberg that tells the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr. (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), a young con artist who successfully poses as a doctor, lawyer, and pilot in the 1960s. The film also stars Tom Hanks as Carl Hanratty, the FBI agent tasked with tracking down Abagnale.

One of the standout elements of the film is its strong performances. DiCaprio and Hanks are both excellent in their roles, with DiCaprio in particular delivering a charismatic and engaging performance as the charming and cunning Abagnale.

The supporting cast is also strong, with Christopher Walken and Martin Sheen giving standout performances.

The film is also beautifully shot, with a vibrant and colorful visual style that perfectly captures the glitz and glamour of the 1960s. I think the film really captures the look and feel of the 1960s. The script, by Jeff Nathanson, is also clever and well-written, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the audience engaged.

I enjoyed the BBC’s Hustle series about con artists, and this film which is on a similar topic did catch my eye (as well as the fact it starred Tom Hanks).

Overall, Catch Me If You Can is a highly entertaining and well-made film that is worth watching for the performances alone. It may not be the deepest or most thought-provoking film, but it is definitely a fun ride.

Get Catch Me If You Can at Amazon.

December 12, 2022

Movie Advent Calendar #12 – Love Actually

” There was more than one lobster present at the birth of Jesus?”

Love Actually is a 2003 romantic comedy film that follows the interconnected lives of a group of people in London during the weeks leading up to Christmas. The film has an impressive cast that includes Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, and many others.

I don’t recall watching this film at the cinema, my eldest son was just over a year old at the time, so we weren’t really going to the cinema at that time. So I suspect I got it as a present in 2004. At the time I did enjoy it. Though it never got into our list of regular Christmas films, as there are sections of the film which are not age appropriate.

One of the strengths of the film is its large and interesting cast of characters. Each character has their own unique story and relationships, and the film does a good job of exploring these in a way that is both funny and poignant.

The film also has a great sense of fun and joy, thanks in part to its festive setting and upbeat soundtrack. I really like the opening and closing sections at the airport, which features real people meeting and not actors. Another strength of the film is its clever writing, which is both funny and emotionally resonant. The dialogue is sharp and the characters are well-developed, making it easy to care about what happens to them. Of course if you are not a fan of Richard Curtis’ writing, then this probably isn’t the film for you.

While Love Actually is a popular and beloved film, it has faced its fair share of criticism for its portrayal of love, relationships, and its lack of diversity and its treatment of female characters. One common criticism of Love Actually is that it portrays a very idealised and unrealistic view of love and relationships. Many of the film’s characters are shown to have perfect, happy endings, which some viewers may find unrealistic and overly simplistic.

The film has also been criticised for its lack of diversity, as all of the main characters are white and many of the supporting characters are also white.

The film also portrays its female characters in a stereotypical and objectifying way. Many of the female characters are shown to be in need of a man to complete them, and their primary purpose in the film is to serve as romantic interests for the male characters. This portrayal of women has been criticised as being outdated and offensive.

Overall, Love Actually is a charming and entertaining film that is great for getting into the holiday spirit. It may not be the deepest or most original film, and you can see its flaws, but it is sure to put a smile on your face and warm your heart.

Get Love Actually at Amazon.

December 11, 2022December 12, 2022

Movie Advent Calendar #11 – The Mummy

“Let me get this straight. They ripped out your guts and they stuffed them in jars?”

This remake of a classic 1932 horror film actually is nothing of the sort. This is not a horror film, this is much more an action adventure film with both comedic and horror aspects thrown into the mix. It is a great pieces of escapism.

I actually do like the film, and I take it at face value, as an action adventure comedy. I think Brendan Fraser does a good performance in the lead role playing the character of Rick O’Connell. Likewise Rachel Weisz’s character Evelyn Carnahan is not the simplistic female characters of the 1930s film. However my favourite character is the bumbling Jonathan Carnahan played by the excellent John Hannah.

The cinematography is really nice and the effects (for 1999) are rather good. One of the standout elements of the film is its sense of fun. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and there are plenty of laughs to be had along the way.

I never watched the 1932 film, but I suspect the 1999 version is nothing like the original.

Overall, The Mummy is a fun and thrilling ride that fans of the genre will definitely enjoy. It may not be a masterpiece, but it’s a great way to spend a couple of hours.

Get The Mummy at Amazon.

December 10, 2022December 10, 2022

Movie Advent Calendar #10 – Contagion

But right now, our best defense has been social distancing. No hand-shaking, staying home when you’re sick washing your hands frequently.

Contagion was released in 2011, this medical thriller had a large cast including Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Elliott Gould, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Ehle, Sanaa Lathan, and Marion Cotillard.

The film’s plot concerns the spread of a highly contagious virus transmitted by respiratory droplets. It described the various attempts by medical researchers and public health officials to identify and contain the disease. There is the loss of social order as the virus turns into a worldwide pandemic. The film concludes with the introduction of a vaccine to halt its spread.

I bought Contagion on iTunes back in 2012 and watched it on my iPad. At the time I did compare the film to the 1995 film Outbreak, but did feel Contagion, with it’s global story was better and more realistic. I think I did watch it again later as well.

Of course in 2020 we saw the coronavirus pandemic hit the world. In March 2020 I scared myself silly by watching Contagion again. The film is about a much more lethal virus with a shorter incubation period than coronavirus. So in the interests of accuracy I checked the trivia and goofs sections of IMDB only to read this section in the goofs.

The disease in the film is highly lethal, affects a very large number of people and has a short incubation period. In reality an infectious disease must have a long incubation period and less lethality than in the film to facilitate a sustained transmission. The real case makes tracking much more difficult, which is a central part of the film, therefore the filmmakers had to bend the facts a bit.

Oh…

I still think the film is worth watching. Luckily we didn’t see the breakdown in social order that was seen in the film. However in the film we didn’t see people dismissing the vaccine as some did with the coronavirus vaccine.

I still think this is a powerful film and one that is worth watching and is still relevant.

Get Contagion at Amazon.

December 9, 2022December 10, 2022

Movie Advent Calendar #09 – Fury

The first twenty minutes or so of Saving Private Ryan is a raw horrific introduction what “modern” warfare is all about. This is no glorified Hollywood war film, this is what, according to many veterans, war is really like. That opening sequence was brutal and extremely shocking. it is shocking as the violence is sudden, brutal and non-discriminating. You get to see not just the immediate impact of war, but also the brutal impact it has on individuals.

Fury, though I don’t think is in the same league as Saving Private Ryan is a brutal film that again demonstrates the horror of war and the horrendous impact that this has on the people who are forced to live through this.

Whereas Saving Private Ryan demonstrates the optimism of the Normandy landings, Fury though takes us to the brutal assault through Germany and you can see that the soldiers just want the war to be over. However the total war policy in 1945 Germany, shows that there was no respite, no way to let down your guard.

Like Saving Private Ryan there is an ensemble cast, these are the crew of the M4 Sherman tank named Fury.

I do think Brad Pitt provides an excellent performance of the grizzled, hardened tank commander. Logan Lerman as private Norman Ellison, a young clerk with no combat experience, reminded me of Jeremy Davies as Technician Fifth Grade Timothy Upham. The newcomer who no one likes and no one trusts.

Wardaddy (Brad Pitt) with Norman (Logan Lerman) in Columbia Pictures’ FURY.

Much of the battle sequences look unrealistic and fantastical, then you find out later they are based on things that actually happened. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

The brutality of some of the scenes makes Fury a film that can be difficult to watch, but you do care about the characters and that keeps you watching.

Fury wasn’t a film I saw at the cinema, but I think this is a cinematic film and one worth watching. I got it on Blu-Ray in the end.

Get Fury at Amazon.

December 8, 2022December 7, 2022

Movie Advent Calendar #08 – Tenet

Don’t try to understand it.

I heard a lot about this film being unwatchable, or needed repeated viewings, so I didn’t make the effort to go and see it at the cinema.

The film follows a former CIA agent who learns how to manipulate the flow of time to prevent an attack from the future that threatens to annihilate the present world.

This is both a film about traveling through time and a film that isn’t about time travel.

I actually really enjoyed the film and did think it was relatively easy to follow. I did have to focus on the film, this is not a film you can multi-task with. The scenes which are “repeated” are clever and sometimes I did struggle to understand who was who and what was going on, but I think that was intentional by the writer and director. The film certainly also benefited from a repeat viewing.

Christopher Nolan does an excellent job in directing the film and the look and feel, and direction of Tenet, did remind me of another film Nolan directed, Inception in some ways.

I thought John David Washington was excellent in the lead role. How his character develops across the film is really engaging, you find out more about what is happening, just as his character does.

Overall I enjoyed this film, much more so than I thought I would. At one point I was going to not watch it after reading some of the reviews, but I am glad I did.

Get Tenet at Amazon.

December 7, 2022December 7, 2022

Movie Advent Calendar #07 – Stan & Ollie

In 2011 I did a musical advent calendar that I posted to Google+ (remember that) and a final summary on this blog. In 2012 I did a cinematic advent calendar of twenty four films. These were films that I really liked and have enjoyed at the cinema. In 2019 I did a televisual advent calendar of twenty four television programmes. These were television programmes that I really liked and have enjoyed watching. This year on a similar theme I will be posting a movie advent calendar of twenty four movies.

I got Stan & Ollie on Blu-Ray for a present, though it took a while for me to sit down and watch it.

I remember watching Laurel and Hardy films when I was young on the television, so was aware of their fame and background.

The film focuses on details of the comedy duo’s personal relationship while relating how they embarked on a gruelling music hall tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland during 1953 and struggled to get another film made. Though they were famous for their movies, by 1953 their careers were waning and they were less popular than they were back in their heyday.

I loved the production and cinematography of this movie. It made clever use of CGI to recreate 1950s Britain. The story is both funny and also sad.

I really enjoyed the film and made me appreciate the life, challenges and difficulties that Laurel and Hardy faced in their professional lives.

A text epilogue explains they never performed together again. Oliver’s health did not recover and he died in 1957. Stan refused all offers to perform without Oliver but continued, until his death in 1965, to write material for Laurel and Hardy.

Get Stan & Ollie at Amazon.

December 6, 2022

Movie Advent Calendar #06 – Paddington

Mrs Brown says that in London everyone is different, and that means anyone can fit in. I think she must be right – because although I don’t look like anyone else, I really do feel at home. I’ll never be like other people, but that’s alright, because I’m a bear. A bear called Paddington.

I loved the Paddington Bear books and the BBC animated television series based on the books by Michael Bond. That series was broadcast from 1976 to 1980, scripted by Bond himself, and produced by FilmFair. It was narrated by Michael Hordern, who also voiced all of the characters.

So when the Paddington film was announced and released in 2014, I was hesitant and a little sceptical. I was pretty confident that it wouldn’t be as good as the TV series from the 1970s. Well to be perfectly honest I don’t think the film is as good as the series. However, despite that, I really enjoyed the film. I thought all the cast did an excellent job. Ben Whishaw’s characterisation of Paddington was spot on, as Paddington was a young bear, and I can see how the original casting of Colin Firth was probably inspired by the BBC series narration, but didn’t work, as Paddington was a single character, whereas Hordern did all the voices in the BBC series.

The story was certainly cinematic and I think that is why the film worked for me. This wasn’t a TV programme on the big screen, this was a big screen adaptation for the character. The set pieces, from the flooded bathroom, the Geographers’ Guild were fun.

There is one scene which does amuse me, and that is when the Brown family find Paddington at Paddington Station. The scenes set on the platform reflect the reality of Paddington Station. Then they go to the station tea room. Yes you might have seen such a station in the 1950s, but not in 2014, when there was a Caffe Nero and a Costa at the station. I kind of wish there was such a tea room at the station now!

I have to say I also enjoyed the sequel, Paddington 2. Hugh Grant was excellent. I even enjoyed the skitch to celebrate the Jubilee in 2022. I also see that a sequel Paddington in Peru is set to begin principal photography in 2023.

December 5, 2022December 5, 2022

Movie Advent Calendar #05 – The Untouchables

“I think I’ll have a drink.”

I think I would have probably included The Untouchables in my (first) cinematic advent calendar. The story follows Eliot Ness as he forms the untouchables team to bring Al Capone to justice during Prohibition.

The film was released in 1987 and I think this was a film I didn’t get to see at the cinema. I actually don’t remember the first time I saw it, it might have been on the television, or could have been an VHS rental from Blockbuster (remember them).

The story of the formation of the team, known as the untouchables, the challenges they faced, in attempting to bring the Chicago gangster, Al Capone, to justice. This was during the age of prohibition, when the US government brought in a law that strictly prohibited the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages from 1920 to 1933. Of course the reality was that there was still a huge demand for alcoholic beverages, so the criminal gangs filled that vacuum with bootlegging and speakeasy illegal bars.

I really enjoyed the strong performances from Kevin Costner as Eliot Ness, Sean Connery as Jim Malone and Robert De Niro as Al Capone.

Of course reading Wikipedia in later years you realise how young Al Capone was when he took control of the crime organisation. He was just 26. De Niro was 44 when he made the film.

Similarly Eliot Ness was just 27 when he was asked to lead his squad. Costner was younger than De Niro, but was 32 when the film was shot.

Aside from these minor inconsistencies, I feel the film really captured the essence of 1920’s Chicago and the story of Eliot Ness and Al Capone.

Get The Untouchables from Amazon.